Growing
by Meddow
Summary: Neville gets a summer job that could make his dreams come true, but when the war strikes home he get to know the Tonks family better and uncovers a conspiracy surrounding his own.
1. Persuasion

**Growing**

**Chapter One - Persuasion **

**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter and related characters are not owned by me.

**Author's Notes:** Thank you to my ever-wonderful beta Nathaniel.

---

Neville Longbottom poked his spoon at his porridge, lifting out a large portion. He then turned his spoon slowly and watched the porridge as it slopped back into the bowl. His Grandmother sat at the other end of the table staring at him.

"Don't play with your food, Neville."

Nobody was particularly pleased with the shortened end of the year at Hogwarts due to the tragic nature of how it came about, but Neville suspected that few were more sorry about it than he. Neville hated the idea of Hogwarts closing early or - Merlin forbid - closing for good, with every fibre of his being. Shorter terms meant longer holidays, and longer holidays meant more time spent alone, at home, with his Grandmother.

It was not that he did not love her greatly. It was just that he found himself incapable of liking her. He had tried many years ago. He had attempted to get to know her, what she liked and disliked, and what she felt passionate about. But last summer he came to the realisation that she would never like him, for being him, simply Neville. She wanted Frank, his courageous, brilliant father, whom Neville was nothing at all alike. Hermione had once told him that people who didn't like him for who he truly was were not really friends. He had taken that approach ever since, even with his relatives. This, unfortunately for Neville, meant he had very few friends.

Though his Gran was one of the nicest people in his family. His distant aunts and uncles seemed to pop into his life every few years and remind him of the family legacy he was expected to continue. Neville would rather they did not. He would much prefer they became nice human beings, find a person of the opposite sex who could stand to be around them for more than five minutes at a time, and produce their own heirs to the Longbottom name and leave him in peace. Though at least his Great Uncle Algie who had given him a _Mimbulus mimbletonia_ had moved to Latvia.

Hermione, Ron, Harry, Ginny and Luna liked him for who he truly was, but they were justifiably absorbed in their own lives at the moment, and as a result Neville was denied any company over the holidays. And so he was left to spend his summer with his Gran, Trevor his toad, and Blinky and Dusty, the two house-elves of the Longbottom household.

Neville had been home for a week and he had now healed completely from the events of the night of Dumbledore's death. Now he found himself rather bored moping around an old rotten house that was far too big for its occupants. At least the vegetable garden he had started last summer outside his room was growing well, under the tender care of Blinky over the year it had survived his absence. This summer he was planning to expand it and even to try and build a greenhouse; he had been saving up his pocket money all year.

His silent misery was interrupted by the screech of a post owl. A letter addressed to him missed the table and landed in his porridge with a soft 'plop' before the owl circled once and flew away. Neville scraped the porridge off the envelope and inspected the contents. It was addressed in green Hogwarts ink to him. He allowed himself a small hope that maybe Hogwarts would open its doors again before opening the letter cautiously.

_Dear Mr Longbottom. _

_Would you please meet me for an urgent meeting in Professor Sprout's office at noon. You may use the Gryffindor fireplace to floo. _

_Yours Sincerely_

_Professor Minerva McGonagall._

"What is the letter about?" asked his Grandmother from the other end of the table.

"I have to go to Hogwarts. To meet Professors Sprout and McGonagall."

Neither he, nor any other student he knew had ever been asked to go to Hogwarts during holidays before. Though his sense of curiosity about the matter was, as always, accompanied by an acute sense of dread. But the letter was a welcome change the monotony that was life with his Grandmother.

"I wonder what that could be about. They can't remove you from the school, I've seen to that. You must tell me all about it when you get back."

Neville longed from some excitement. He decided he would be there on time.

---

The Gryffindor common room was deserted, much like the rest of the school. There were still the ghosts and portraits, but not a sign of any person, student or staff, and without them Hogwarts seemed to stand alone and empty. The Fat Lady grumbled as Neville stepped out of the common room, saying it wasn't her job during the holidays to shuffle students in and out. Neville apologised.

Neville walked into Professor Sprout's office at exactly twelve noon. While he had been very careful to be on time, unfortunately the Professor was not. He had plenty of time to gaze around at the plants sitting in pots around her office next to the Greenhouse. They were mostly harmless plants, but he saw some aconite sitting in the corner. The flowers sitting atop of its long green stem had flower into a magnificent shade of blue.

Professor Sprout walked in the office with Professor McGonagall in tow. It was unusual for Professor Sprout to be late, but for Professor McGonagall, it was down right strange.

"Apologies for the lateness, Neville," Professor Sprout muttered as she sat down at her desk. "A meeting with the board of governors took longer than we expected…Can we tell him?" She looked to Professor McGonagall.

"He will find out soon enough, I see no harm in him being the first student to know," replied his stern Head of House who was now standing in the corner by the door.

"Well then, good news Neville, Hogwarts will be opening next year and Professor McGonagall is now the official head mistress." She seemed quite cheery at the news. Neville smiled, he didn't know what he would do without Hogwarts. It was the only place where he ever felt close to belonging.

"That's good news," he replied.

McGonagall didn't look too happy, more deep in thought. He didn't know her that well, but he believed that she didn't want to become headmistress in such circumstances. Not with Dumbledore murdered on the school grounds. Neville would also hate to have to be the successor of Dumbledore, he was a great man, and nobody was expecting there to ever be a greater Headmaster.

"Yes. Well, to the matter at hand," she said.

"Yes, yes." Sprout looked at him. "Neville, you applied for the _Flitterbloom Fine Herbs_ summer internship some time ago." She smiled at him. "Well, I'm pleased to inform you, that you were this year's successful applicant. There is a job there all summer if you want it."

"Yes!" Neville replied at once. Summer positions were new to Hogwarts in general and only limited to care of magical creatures, herbology and muggle studies – subjects that did not require the actual use of magic in any way. The one he had applied for was new that year, but he had sent in his application near six months ago and not heard back so had believed he had missed out.

"I would listen to Professor Sprout before agreeing too quickly Mr Longbottom," replied McGonagall. Neville couldn't imagine giving up the opportunity. _Flitterbloom Herbs_ was a premier supplier of potions ingredients. Their plants were quite expensive due to their high quality and rumour had it that the owner of the company only sold potions ingredients in order to fund research. For Neville, who would be quite happy to grow plants for the rest of his life, this was where he could get started. From there he could open his own greenhouse, grow his own plants.

"Yes, well. How do I put this…" She paused and looked sadly at Neville.

"Do you know who runs _Flitterbloom, _Mr Longbottom?" This was an odd question for Professor McGonagall to be asking, but Neville knew the answer anyway.

"Err…Demeter Willows." McGonagall gave Sprout a grave look.

"Demeter Willows is an alias the true owner uses for the purpose of business and her own personal safety. Her real name is Andromeda Tonks," replied Professor Sprout sadly. Neville knew the name from somewhere. He had an itching feeling in his mind that he should remember something. The two Professors were only making it worse, giving him those sad looks.

McGonagall, who was much more used to Neville's blanks than Sprout decided to summarise matters, "I think we had better get to the point. Neville, Andromeda Tonks is a brilliant herbologist and thinks you have an enormous amount of potential. But…however, her sister is…Bellatrix Lestrange."

Neville felt his stomach tighten up at the mention of _her_ name. He remained quiet, but he could feel the blood run from his face. "She was thrown out of her family at a young age for marrying a muggle-born, and she's a lovely person, nothing like her sisters," Professor Sprout added, making an attempt at a smile. "She just didn't think you would want to spend any time around her, knowing… err…what her sister did."

Neville remained quiet. Professor McGonagall pulled up a chair next to him, sat down and looked him in the eye. "It is a difficult situation. We will not think any less of you if you do not, but she's in the green house waiting to meet you."

He stared into space. He couldn't think. Professor McGonagall obviously sensed this. "We will give you a few minutes to think about it." And with that the two Professors left the room, leaving Neville alone with his decision.

Neville decided it was the story of his life. Having something he really wanted given to him and then to have it corrupted in some awful way. He wondered what his parents would tell him to do. Having no memory of the people his parents were, he was forced to imagine what they would want him to do. They were Aurors. Neville had little experience with Aurors, with the exception of two. A handsome black man who had duelled two Death Eaters at once in the Ministry, and a young woman, who had been there at the Ministry and again a weeks ago at Hogwarts. What he had noticed about them was that they were both brave and capable.

And then there were the Aurors he had not met but had seen, the ones who nearly killed Professor McGonagall on the night of the Astronomy OWL.

Deciding that line of reasoning was futile; he tried to picture Andromeda Black. Long black hair and grey hooded eyes of Bellatrix Lestrange and an unpleasant sneer, similar to the one Snape would terrorise him with, were all he could see. She taunted him when he had met her at the ministry, threatened to do to him what she had done to his parents.

Neville was afraid of Andromeda, he realised. He had always been afraid of Bellatrix Lestrange, but this was now tainting all that were related to her. His parents had not been afraid of the real thing. They had stood up and fought. Neville decided that if his parents had not been afraid of her then he would not be afraid of her sister.

He made up his mind, got off his chair and walked up to the Professors waiting in the corridor to the greenhouse, determined. "I want to meet her."

Professor McGonagall beamed at him. He knew he had made the right choice, for a Gryffindor anyway. "Well, I have work to do. Good luck, Mr. Longbottom." With that she walked off in the direction of the Headmistresses office.

Professor Sprout led him into the greenhouse. It was the same as it always was, plants towering to the ceiling in impressive shades of green and occasionally shades of purple, red, yellow and even blue. The plants were separated by narrow spaces to walk down, two students had to squeeze to get past each other. The air was magically humid and warm in some areas, and dry and cold in others, to cater for the specific needs of certain plants. Neville loved the smell. Well not always, sometimes the whole greenhouse smelled of manure. However, it was days like the current one that he loved it. The smell of water on the foliage combined the scents from the flowers and the fresh soil. He was home. Neville felt calm in a greenhouse. He used it when he was afraid, as a place where he was safe, and being in it helped him steel himself for what was approaching.

Professor Sprout turned a corner to where the students worked and the first person he noticed was nothing like his internal picture. In fact, it was a man in his forties sitting at the student's worktable, looking decidedly bored. He had curly black hair, long and tightly tied back. He possessed a small mass of red stubble at his chin and a pair of dark brown eyes.

He got up, revealing that he was a large, towering man, and headed towards the pair. Neville noticed he was dressed like a muggle, wearing dark blue muggle pants, and a black shirt with no tie.

"Wotcher!" He stuck his hand out and smiled. "You must be Neville." Neville shook his had. "I'm Ted."

Professor Sprout was looking over his shoulders. "You'll find Andi in the Wormwood," he mentioned to her. "Andi!" he promptly called over his shoulder.

"Coming!" Neville heard a female voice calling from around the corner. Andromeda Tonks emerged, and to Neville's relief looked very different from her sister. She was tall and thin with grey eyes. She differed from her sister in that she had chocolate brown hair instead of black and a few freckles on her tanned skin. But the whole air about her was different, whereas Bellatrix looked haggard due to years in prison, Andromeda had aged well with laugh lines present around her eyes. She did not look at all like the woman in his nightmare, rather someone he could imagine being a friend of his mother's.

She smiled at Neville and crossed the room in quick confident strides. She held herself in the way that Neville's Gran was constantly trying to make him adopt, like a pureblood that owned the world. Neville had never quite achieved this himself, but he could recognise it when he saw it.

Andromeda pulled a green dragon's hide glove of her hand and put her hand out like her husband had done and smiled at him. "Hello." Neville shook her hand and said hello back.

"Your Wormwood's looking great, Pomona. Much better than mine at the moment."

"Thank you, though I think it may just be the Hogwarts soil rather than any special trick I use."

"Yes, I'm going to show up here one day with a few bags and a shovel and steal some. Just you watch me." She laughed.

What followed was an uncomfortable silence. Neville noticed she was wearing clothes the looked like robes from a distance, by up-close was just a very long green muggle skirt and a fitted white blouse.

"I read your application, written on your _Mimbulus Mimbletonia_. I though it was great. Which is why I'm giving you the position." She smiled hesitantly.

"Thank you," Neville managed.

"Well, don't thank her yet," replied Ted. "She's going to have you running around after her all summer, I would call it torture rather than a scholarship."

Andromeda Tonks turned and glared at him and he realised what he had said. This was followed again by another uncomfortable silence. Neville found a sudden interest in the looking at his shoes.

The tall woman let out a sigh. "Neville..." She was looking at Neville, but Neville found he could not look at her. "My sister has ruined your family. I wish I could apologise for her but I can't, her actions are her own. I wish more than anything that I could undo all the things she's done, not just to you, but all the other lives she's ruined. But I can't." Neville looked up from his shoes, she did seem earnest.

"You have amazing potential, Neville, from what I've heard. All I ask is that you do not hold my sister against me… Please." There was a pleading look in her eyes.

"All right," Neville mumbled not really sure if it was a good idea. Then again, he told himself, he was never sure if anything was a good idea.

"Brilliant," came Ted Tonks's voice from behind his wife.

"Well, good. You can floo to our place at six tomorrow morning and I'll put you to work then." She still looked slightly uncomfortable. Andromeda told him the address, 26 Dominion Road, a cottage not far from Chester, near the Welsh border, what he would need for the morning and wished a safe trip back to his home. Ted did as well, and also apologised for placing his foot in his mouth.

Neville sat down at the student's worktable for a while after they left. They seemed like a nice couple and she seemed very different from her sister. He was ashamed at himself for being so quiet; he hoped above all else that he hadn't blown his opportunity by not talking. Mentally he was kicking himself. He thought he had been making so much progress. He had courage; he knew that, he had fought Death Eaters twice, including Bellatrix Lestrange. It was just whenever someone mentioned his parents he still clamed up.

He was frustrated. Hermione had cornered him in his fifth year after Christmas and told him that if he ever wanted to talk about it, he could. But Neville had never felt comfortable to do so. Various teachers, Professor McGonagall, Professor Lupin, Professor Sprout and worst of all the man masquerading as Professor Moody; which to this day made Neville feel sick to think about; had all given him similar sentiments with the same result of silence reached.

Neville lamented his inability to talk about what he spent so long preoccupied with for a moment, said goodbye and thank you to Professor Sprout and headed back through the empty corridors to the Gryffindor fireplace.

---

Neville arrived back at his Gran's home two hours after he set off, through the fireplace in the spare room. Gran did not like getting soot all over the carpet so only guests were allowed to use the fireplace in the main lounge.

The Longbottom House was a big, old building with wooden panel walls, red fabric, and the Longbottom family crest decorating its long windy corridors and many darkly lit rooms. Neville realised he should know more about it and its history, but he was more ashamed of it than anything to ask. To an outsider or a guest, or somebody just looking at the house from the road that ran out the front, the house looked stately and well kept. But the people that lived there, Neville, his Gran and their two house-elves knew which parts of the house to avoid due to their being ruined by the damp, whole rooms and the second stairwell were to be avoided for fear of the floor giving in. However, it looked as stately as ever, and as his Gran was always telling him it was the impression that mattered, and it was the impression that he was ashamed of.

He believed if his friends were to ever see his home, at least half of them would hold it against him. Ron and Ginny would not say much but Neville knew inwardly they would be cursing him for having such a large home for just him and his Gran, whereas their large family lived in a much smaller one. Hermione would openly protest about the family house elves. Neville agreed with her in a way about freedom, but if Blinky and Dusty were to get clothes, who would clean? The manor was too big and his Gran too old for her to do it herself, and Neville was away at school a lot and not allowed to do magic anyway.

As a result of his eternal embarrassment of his own position, Neville never invited his friends home when his Gran asked him to. Every year she tried to have a birthday party for him, too meet some of his friends. He declined every year but never had the heart to tell her it was because he did not think any of them liked him enough to not think of him differently when they saw where he lived.

At least his parents had been of the same mind as him. They had owned a small, now abandoned, cottage not far away. Neville had been there of course, when he was a baby and too young to remember, but not since the night the Death Eaters broke in.

Neville wandered through the house and eventually found his Gran sitting in the lounge, reading the Daily Prophet. Neville had already read it. The headline was about a Death Eater attack on a muggle family in York, who apparently had a child who had just finished her first year at Hogwarts. Neville worried that one day he would see some family he knew in the papers, or a family of a person that he knew, the Weasleys, the Grangers, the Lovegoods, even Harry's extended muggle family, though Neville did not know their name.

He dreaded most of all the possibility of an attack on his Gran and him. He was not capable of protecting her should more than one Death Eater show up on the doorstep; and even if it were only one, he would probably still lose. He told his Gran this once and she told him to stop being silly. His parents had put the protections on the house, and someone came from the Ministry every year to test their effectiveness. This reassured Neville when he was a child scared of a Death Eater coming to get him in the night. As he got older he realised that his parents had put protections on their own house, and yet Death Eaters still managed to get in somehow.

"What was the appointment with Professor Sprout about?" She didn't take her eyes of the paper.

"I've won a scholarship. A summer job with _Flitterbloom Fine Herbs_."

His Gran peered over the top of the Prophet, She wasn't too happy about his fascination with Herbology. She was always saying that herbology, like potions and charms, was for those who could not perform any real magic. She wanted him to be an Auror like his parents, she was always telling him how great his father and mother were at it and wondering where all their talent had gone. Neville knew she still held out a hope that he would one day reveal himself to be as brilliant at Defence Against the Dark Arts as Harry and then go off and join the Auror Academy. "And you're accepting this?"

"I start tomorrow."

She emitted a noise of disapproval, which Neville had heard so many times he could just ignore it. "And who runs this company?"

Neville had thought about telling her the truth, but decided against it. Finding out who the owner of the company was, was just enough for his Gran to put an end to his hopes of making it in herbology. "Demeter Willows, she's a really well respected herbologist."

"I've never heard of her. 'Willows' is not a name I've come across before, obviously not one of the old families then. Are you sure it is safe?"

"Yes, Professors McGonagall and Sprout thought it was fine."

At the mention of Professor McGonagall name, his Gran put down her paper.

"You saw Minerva. She didn't happen to say anything about the future of the school?" Gran loved a bit of new information.

"It's opening again next year and she's the new Headmistress. It was announced today." Neville felt quite proud of himself being able to deliver some gossip to his Gran, he knew she did love telling her friends news.

"Excellent. I believe my old friend is no Dumbledore, but she will do a fine job. I must go tell Lavinia."

With that his Gran went off to the study to write letters to her friends, leaving Neville alone to himself. He spent the rest of the day tending to his _Mimbulus mimbletonia_, which sat on the desk on his second floor bedroom, and the growing vegetable plot in the land outside his bedroom window.

He headed down to the kitchen and helped Dusty pack a lunch for the next day, despite her protests against Master Neville doing any work, and then set about trying to find everything he would need for the next day - dragon-hide gloves, protective clothing, boots, clippers - and placed them on the desk in his room so he would not forget anything. Eventually he headed to his room and fell asleep in nervous anticipation, dreaming of dancing cabbage plants.


	2. Dominion Road

**Chapter Two - Dominion Road**

**Author's Notes: **Huge thanks to my beta Nathaniel. I know that there is come mystery surrounding whether Ted is a muggle-born or a muggle. I'm going with muggle-born based on when Tonks said in OotP. Reviews and feedback are greatly appreciated.

---

Neville awoke the next morning to the sound of a Lion growling. It was an old alarm statue. A wooden lion passed down from his Grandfather to his father and then to him.

He crept downstairs hoping not to wake anyone up, but was greeted by Dusty, who had a knack for anticipating Neville and had cooked scrambled eggs for his big day. After breakfast, Neville left a note for his Gran who was yet to wake up outlining when to expect him back by and crept into the spare room fireplace and flooed to his new workplace, not knowing what to expect.

He fell out of the Tonks' fireplace into a lounge painted sea green. There were a few chairs and a sofa, as well as a rather large bookcase. Though he did not have much time to take this in, as his arrival was met by the sudden triggering of security wards. Bright pink sparks went off like fireworks within the room startling him, and the whole house filled with rather loud noise which Neville recognised to be the sound a cat made when a person stepped on its tail, Neville having stepped on, tripped over or fallen on many a cat in his time.

His first reaction was to run as fast as he could away from the sound. His second was to jump back into the fireplace. This being two different directions he remained glued to the spot, but found he had drawn his wand and was standing in a partly defensive position.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Ted Tonks came running around the corner and yelled, "Sergeant Pepper!" and the noise and sparks died as suddenly as they had started.

"I'm so sorry about that." Neville realised he still had his wand drawn, and put it back in his pocket. "I should have been waiting for you here, but my bacon was burning. Our daughter - she means well - set the wards and she won't tell us how to take them off. Though at least she told us the password. But now she will come around and change the password and I'll have to remember a new one." He said this all rather quickly and breathlessly. "How are you today? I suppose we've frightened you half to death already. I'm really sorry about that."

Ted Tonks seemed to Neville like a very friendly man, however he did seem to talk quite a lot. "It's fine. I'm okay."

"Great. Well, Andromeda's just in the owl shed making some urgent deliveries. I'll take you out there to see her. Do you want the tour?"

"Yeah, um, that would be great."

Ted led him through from the lounge, down a short hallway and into the kitchen. "Well, this is the kitchen, domain of me, and my soon to be bacon sandwich." It was spotlessly clean and very muggle. Neville saw a refrigerator in a corner. He had learned about them in muggle studies, they were used to keep food cold.

"It's nice."

Ted was flicking bacon through the air with his wand in one hand and catching it with a slice of bread in the other. "Well, I'll cook you some lunches while your working here, but you can grab a snack anytime. Though Andromeda has this rule that you clean up everything after yourself. She really likes things clean."

"I will," Neville replied, he was very used to cleaning up after himself, his Gran liked thing clean as well and through experience he found that people did not mind as much if you spilt things all the time if you always cleaned it up quickly.

"Excellent." Ted started off again, now with his breakfast in his hand. "Lets go outside."

The house was a small cottage, and looking around the front lawn Neville saw that there were a few houses in sight. But most of the surrounding area was farmland. In the front were some small herb beds, Neville could identify basil, thyme, mint and chives growing in the one closes to the front door. Trees were scattered around, all relatively young and barely taller than Neville. The house itself was red brick, but you could hardly see it for the ivy growing along the walls, only leaving room for the windows.

"Do you sell the wood from the trees to make wands?" Neville asked, curious as to whether the normality of the front yard did not deceive.

"Most of them are still too young, however that yew over there - and that cherry closest to you have had some branches turned into Ollivander's wands. Not long before he went missing." Ted pointed to the two trees he was speaking about.

Despite the very healthy ivy and the wand trees everywhere the front garden looked relatively muggle. Ted, seemingly knowing what Neville would ask began talking again. "All our neighbours are muggles, and we have a number of muggle friends so we have too keep up appearances out here, though that Ivy has a mind of it's own. The back yard is where Andi keeps her interesting stuff."

They walked down a small stone path and though a gate and were met by a small wooden shed. "Andi, are you done yet?" Ted called out, as he opened the door.

Andromeda Tonks was tying a parcel to an owl's leg as Neville walked in. "Oh, hello Neville…I'll be done in a second." She looked quite distracted and a little tired.

"I've taken him around the front lawn, but I don't even know where to start with your stuff, so I'm leaving him here," Ted announced.

Ted wished Neville a good day and headed towards the house.

"St Mungo's has run out of Mandrake." She sighed. "Ted and I have been up half the night trying to cultivate some."

Neville's mind thought back to his second year at Hogwarts, with the Chamber of Secrets and so many students being petrified. "The Death Eaters, they haven't got a Basilisk, have they?"

Andromeda looked at him, her grey eyes seemed to by analysing his question. "I don't know. But I do know it's mostly for muggle patients. I don't even want to think what _they _have been doing." She referred to the Death Eaters with a bitter note of distain in her voice. Andromeda finished tying a package to the foot of an owl and sent it on its way. "Well that's the last of them. I'll show you around the green house."

Neville's spirits lifted. They walked out of the shed onto a plain grass lawn. In the corner by the fence was a small greenhouse; it looked no bigger than a bathroom. However, when Andromeda opened the door, the greenhouse was as big as the dinning hall at Hogwarts.

It was much better organised than the greenhouse at school. The same types of plants were lined neatly in a row, giving it much less of a jungle-like feeling. They were also much smaller than the plants in the Hogwarts greenhouse, unsurprising since the Hogwarts greenhouse was for studying the plants, whereas Andromeda ran a business. Neville could see a recently dug-up mandrake bed to his left. On his right were beds of nettles and belladonna.

"Wow." Neville smiled. He was going to spend his summer here.

"Its really something, isn't it?" Andromeda smiled. "I've been working with plants since Nymphadora went to school. It's only now that my works starting to pay off. You're the first person I've been able to afford to pay." She seemed really proud of it, Neville would be too if it were his. This is what he wanted at home.

"This is just the commercial plants. I'm working on some other project. They are all down the back." Neville followed her down the rows, noticing more and more plants, bubotuber, shivelfrigs, actonite and flitterbloom all sitting in the ground or neatly in pots lined up in rows.

Andromeda stopped outside a glass door; there was a room about halfway down the greenhouse moving off to the side.

"This is where I keep the most dangerous of the species I grow," Andromeda announced.

Inside Neville could see the spiky dark red vines of venomous tentacula surrounding the door. "Only tentacula's in there at the moment, it's strangled everything else I put it there. I personally hate the stuff, but I have a rather big contract for their use with a joke store. Of all the places to use that plant, it had to be a joke store - but they are currently keeping Ted in bacon."

Neville had read about tentacula, you could never turn your back to it. If you did, before you knew it you would have a vine wrapped around your ankle, injecting you with its deadly poison. Once you were dead, usually within ten minutes, it would eat you while you decomposed, wrapped in it tentacles. He had a sudden mental image of himself tripping over and landing in a patch of it.

"Um, will I have to work with it, will I?"

Andromeda smiled knowingly and shook her head. "Don't worry. It would be illegal since you have to have a licence. I've got other plans for where you can work, follow me." They continued down a narrow path, passing puffpods and honking daffodils, before arriving in front of a dozen pots of willow trees, all just slightly taller than Neville, behind a wooden fence right down the end of the greenhouse.

"These trees are going to make me and Ted a lot of money one of these days." Andromeda grabbed a nearby plank of wood that was sitting around out of place with the tidiness of the greenhouse and reached it over the fence. Instantaneously the three nearest trees leaned forward and swung branches at it. It seemed that Whomping Willows were just as vicious when they were small as to when they were grown.

"Now watch this," Andromeda said with near childlike glee in her face. She placed the plank of wood down on the floor and putting her arm in the cage instead. Neville was sure the trees would try an attack her, but instead they just ignored her. She managed to get close enough to touch the bark around the tree.

Neville could not believe it. "You've taught them to recognise you."

"Yes, Ted is a charms inventor, and we're very close to being able to sell these as protection devises for wizarding homes. Just perform the charm and the password and the tree will not attack you."

Neville thought it was ingenious, the wizarding world was scrambling to find new ways to protect themselves from Death Eater attack, and an angry tree may just be able to do the job. "How far away are you from finishing?"

"At the moment the charms to complex for the average wizard. Ted's got to make it easy enough for everyone to use, but complex enough so it can recognise polyjuice. There's no getting around the problem of the imperius curse however."

"When you have finished it, can I get one for my Gran?" Neville asked eagerly.

She smiled at his compliment. "Of course, I'll even give you an employee discount…Now over here, is where I want to use your talents."

They turned the corner; there were two _Mimbulus mimbletonia_ were stilling in small pots on the bench. "I cannot quite get them to grow properly. I was hoping you could help me out."

Two was quite an impressive collection, they were quite rare and most herbologists didn't even have one, then again most herbologists weren't interested in the species. "Yes… but why are you growing mimbulus? Most people think they have no useful magical qualities," Neville asked.

"You don't. And the others think that because we don't know that yet. Nobodies managed to cultivate them properly, although according to Professor Sprout you are having some success. Once that's done, then I can enlist a potions specialist to help me determine their qualities." Neville did not much care for potions, having his life made hell by the Snape had put him off the subject once and for all. He just liked plants, what they were used for when they were grown he did not give much thought too what they were used for.

Suddenly there was a long clanging noise. The greenhouse door had been slammed shut. Andromeda flinched at the noise. "Mum, where the heck are you?" shouted a woman's voice.

The smile of Andromeda's face melted into a frown. "Over here by the _Mimbulus_." She turned to Neville. "I'm sorry about this, my daughter's an Auror, and she's rather pedantic."

"It's okay," Neville muttered, he could understand. He constantly worried about the ward around his Gran's home. But Andromeda didn't seem to be listening to him. She was focusing her daughter.

A young woman walked down the path dressed in red Auror robes, with bright yellow hair. Neville recognised her instantly as the woman who had been there at the Department of Mysteries and at Hogwarts the night Dumbledore died. Despite the circumstances they had never actually spoken to each other, Neville didn't even know her name. "Mum, what…Ouch." She tripped over a pot containing a honking daffodil; but managed to stop herself before she it the ground and recovered quickly. "…What on earth possessed you to connect the fireplace to the floo network? I though you knew bloody well how dangerous that is?" she asked, not hiding her irritation at her mother's actions.

"Don't you dare lecture me, Nymphadora, considering the choice of company you keep," Andromeda replied, rising to her daughter's tone.

"Leave Remus out of this…" suddenly she seemed to spot Neville. The look of annoyance on her face changed to one of horror. Neville wasn't all that surprised; he expected that every young Auror would be told about the sad tale of his parents. She did manage to compose herself quickly and smiled. "Oh. Wotcher Neville." She shifted the tone in her voice from angry to friendly in a split second.

"Hello," Neville said quietly, not willing to be drawn into what seemed to be a family issue and none of his business.

"You two have met?" Andromeda asked, looking between the two.

"Yeah, though we've never been formally introduced," Nymphadora replied smiling at Neville. Andromeda looked at Neville quizzically. "He's one of Harry's friends," Nymphadora added. Andromeda pursed he lips together.

"Well, Neville, this is my Daughter Nymphadora, though she likes to be called Tonks. Dora, this is Neville Longbottom." Ted announced, appearing behind his daughter.

"It's Tonks," she replied. "Just Tonks."

"Nice to meet you," Neville replied.

"So I'm guessing that you connected the fireplace for Neville." Tonks took the conversation back to her mother.

"Yes," Andromeda replied curtly. "He's helping me out over the summer, or are you going to accuse him of being in league with You-Know-Who."

Tonks seemed distinctly uncomfortable with this suggestion but Andromeda's words seemed to have turned the conversation back to what they had been fighting about. "Well, it doesn't stop the fact that it's dangerous. You cannot trust people to keep the information safe just because they work at the ministry," Tonks replied.

"I will not spend my life hiding, Nymphadora, and you do not get to lecture me what I can and cannot do," Andromeda answered.

"Why? You seem to think you're qualified to decide how I should live my life. Whereas I actually know something about this." Tonks crossed her arms, and started at Andromeda defiantly. Neville was unsure what to do; he had never really been stuck in the middle of a family feud before.

Andromeda opened her mouth about to retort, when Ted managed to place his body between the two women. "Come on, Dora, you're going to have to change the wards."

"Fine," Tonks answered as an annoyed sigh. She turned around a heading off, Ted following behind.

Andromeda stood there for a while, staring after them before turning to Neville. "Well, let's get onto what I will have you do everyday."

They spent the morning going through what Neville would get up to, mainly watering and fertilising, then filling out the orders for the day and if there was any time left, he would be able to assist Andromeda with her experimental plants.

Ted eventually returned, announcing that he had cooked some lunch. Andromeda headed for the door and Neville begun to follow, but was stopped by Ted who placed a hand on his shoulder. "Look, I'm sorry about what you witnessed earlier with Andi and Dora. They've been at it for a while now, but I promise you it doesn't happen everyday."

Neville had never seen a family argue like that, but he realised he had not spent much time around a typical family. His just tended to do whatever his Gran told them to do without question, including himself. So while he didn't really feel it was his place to ask, he found himself doing it anyway. "What are they fighting about?"

"Oh, werewolves, blood heritage and secret societies. You know, basically what all families fight about." He smiled and wandered off, Neville could not work out if that was a joke or not.

---

Lunch consisted of roast beef sandwiches and lemonade. Andromeda put Neville to work again after lunch, planting mandrake seedlings to replace the ones dug up in the morning. Andromeda had hung safety signs up in the greenhouse window to prevent Ted from wandering in without earmuffs, though the plants were not big enough for their screams to kill yet. Neville was worried that something may go wrong, and he would accidentally be rendered unconscious by the noise made by the small seedlings like he had been once in class. His hands shook dreadfully during the planting of the first few as a result. However, as he realised that things were not going badly, he managed to calm his hands down, and even begin to enjoy himself.

He spent the rest of the day weeding and watering before finishing at five, flooing back to his Gran's place via the fireplace in the Tonks' lounge. He was very careful to clean his shoes properly before doings so, not wanting to ruin the cleanliness Andromeda's home by dragging in tick tracts of mud from the greenhouse.

Neville found himself trudging though Longbottom house, with most of his muscles aching, he did not think he had ever worked so hard for so long in his life. Gran had waited for him to arrive home before eating, and they ate their lamb chops and roast vegetables quietly for a while, before his Gran begun to press him for the details of his day.

"Did you have a good time?"

"Yes."

"Will you be returning tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Did you break anything?"

"No." Neville was particularly proud of the answer to the last question, but did not feel like telling his Gran too much. Part of him thought that he should tell her who he was really working for, but another part of him was scared of what she would do if she knew, so he continued to say little, it was not as if his Gran had ever shown much of an interest in herbology after all.

"Are you going to be working on Sunday?"

"No."

"Good. I think it's time we visited your parents."

Neville sunk into his chair. Every holiday they visited, Neville and his Gran would sit and discuss what had been happening in their lives while the mindless bodies of the two great Aurors Frank and Alice Longbottom would stair blankly at the wall.

He excused himself from the dinning table, having eaten all his dinner, and headed for his room. Unusually, a barn owl was waiting at his desk a note attached to its leg. Neville wondered if it was from Andromeda, saying _Sorry Neville but we will not be needing you anymore. _

He opened the letter to find it was in a strange handwriting, with pictures of owls drawn in the margin.

_Hello Neville_

My father has bought me this owl for my birthday and I've called him Duck so I can write to whoever I want to and not have to visit the post office how excellent. Not much has happened were I am at however you must read this months Quibbler since I have written my first article. It's all about Dumbledore who is really Merlin and has mastered living forever and so cannot die and so he's just hiding in the North Pole for a while. Hope you are having an excellent holiday.

_Luna_

Neville had never received a letter from a friend in school before. He had always though that Luna was a bit, well, odd, but he had come to realise that she was a nice person and her eccentricities made her very interesting to be around. Although sometimes a bit scary, he never knew what she was going to do next.

Neville soon noticed that Duck, the Owl was staring at Neville. Neville stared back at it for a while then realised that the Owl would probably want another letter to send back to Luna, so he grabbed his quill, still sitting in his school bag at the end of his bed and begun to write one back.

_Dear Luna_

_Holidays are going well. I'm getting to work for…_Neville wondered whether to tell Luna the same thing he had told his Gran or tell her the truth. He decided against the truth _…Demeter Willows and care for her plants. I've only done it for one day and it's great but I'm worried I will slip up and break something. Your theory on Dumbledore sounds nice._

All the theories that she came up with! But the latest one seemed to be more based on denial than anything else. Dumbledore was dead and wasn't coming back. But Neville could not help but wish that just for once, Luna would be right.

_I hope you had a good birthday… _Neville felt slightly guilty that he hadn't known about it so had not sent her a card _…and that you're having to good holiday too. Yours Faithfully. Neville. _

He tied the letter to the barn owl's leg and sent it off into the night.


	3. No Ordinary Thing

**Chapter Three - No Ordinary Thing**

**Author's Notes: **Thank you to Nathaniel, my great beta. I know I've been updating every day for the first three chapters but I'm going to be updating less regularly. I'm pretty sure I can do a chapter a week and there are 18 chapters in total. Feedback and reviews, as always, are greatly appreciated.

* * *

When Neville flooed into the Tonks' fire place the next day he was relieved to find that the wards had been adjusted and did not start screaming again. Though part of him wished they would just to wake him up. Six o'clock in the morning was not an easy time to be up and about. 

Andromeda met him by the fireplace and got him to feed her and Ted's four owls, Brian, Rodger, John and Freddie, who had returned from their trip to St Mungo's, before starting on the garden. The day was spent much as the day before with Neville watering, feeding and weeding the plants, while Andromeda was busy planting some more Mandrake seeds, which would eventually replace the seedlings they had planted the day before.

Neville then had some time to tend to the _Mimbulus mimbletonia_ after lunch. They were rather an odd species, having only been rediscovered by muggles excavating the ruins of an old Abyssinian temple. On these digs there was always a wizard present passing as a muggle to prevent them from stumbling across anything that could potentially hurt them, so when the muggles found a cache of a few hundred grey seeds they were confiscated and taken to wizarding research institutions, such as the Department of Mysteries in Britain. Having been grown, and declared thoroughly useless and not dangerous at all, other wizards were allowed to purchase them, but nobody had yet found a way to cultivate them and with the current lack of interest the species would eventually be extinct again.

Neville had suspected for some time that he could not make his seed or flower because another _Mimbulus_ was required, after all some plants did have genders, but these were always non-magical plants, so many herbologists had not given this much thought. What Neville required to prove this theory were more _Mimbulus_, which is what Andromeda had supplied him with. But first he would have to get them to a state of good health. So Neville started by watering them, which was what all plants eventually required, and stroking them, running his finger down the stalk, carefully avoiding the puss-filled boils. He had found that his own _Mimbulus_ had responded well to him stroking it.

"You seem to be very good with them." Neville jumped, he had not noticed Andromeda walk up behind him. "Oh, sorry. I though you had noticed me."

"It's okay. I've had some practice with mimbulus, they….um like being stroked." Neville responded, wondering in Andromeda would think it was silly to be stroking a plant.

"Odd that, they have one of the most fascinating defensive mechanisms I've ever seen, but in order to grow they need people," Andromeda replied, her focus more on picking up some empty pots that were sitting on the bench next to the _Mimbulus. _

"Yeah."

"Well, I'm glad you're here to take care of them, I've been rather negligent with them." Neville had noticed that Andromeda was the only one who worked with so many plants and was constantly busy. He wondered how on earth she had been doing it all by herself up until now. "Eventually," she continued, "I will make enough profit off this place to hire somebody full-time to stroke the _Mimbulus_. But this place is not exactly a quick returning investment. It would be wonderful to make lots of money off something you loved, but that isn't always the way it is, is it?"

Neville agreed with her and continued the next two days showing up in the morning and working around the greenhouse. Occasionally, Andromeda would get him to help her with extra duties, on the Thursday morning that required watching the venomous tentacula while Andromeda fed them.

Neville job consisted of standing well back and telling her if one of the tendrils made a grab for one of Andromeda's legs. She herself was dressed from head to foot in an odd padded costume that left none of her skin showing and would hopefully prevent any spines from going through the fabric and into her flesh. She wore an odd mask over her face made out of fabric and cloth mesh, which allowed her to see out of it.

Ted stood by, wand drawn, and instructed Neville that he was to stun the plants should he see one get too close. Andromeda cautioned them both against being too hasty, since the stupefy charm could kill a plant, but Ted protested, after all her life was much more important than a plant.

The red plants inside feed on decomposing flesh, and so, Andromeda fed them by placing cuts of meat where the plants could reach it. Neville watched as Andromeda cautiously leaned in with a lamb shank and placed it just out of reach of one of the plants. She moved backwards quickly and a tentacle shot out at the meat, wrapping around it. It tightened itself causing the spines to imbed themselves in the flesh. Soon dark black patches appeared as splotches in the red meat around the spines, slowly getting wider until there was no longer any red meat, only black rotting flesh.

There were four plants in total, and Andromeda placed the last three pieces of meat down quickly before walking out of the room, never turning her back to the deadly plants. She shut the door and locked it.

Neville watched on through the glass as the plants started fighting with one another over the meat, vines reaching and grabbing at each other. He suddenly felt an odd sensation at his ankle, reacting quickly he pointed his wand down at his foot and lifted his trouser leg, expecting to see a red vine wrapping its way around him, ready to kill but instead found only his grey sock sticking out of his shoe.

"Careful there, Nev." Ted was watching him and chucked. "Wouldn't want to stun yourself."

Neville could feel bloody rushing to cheeks from his own embarrassment. "Awh, don't worry about it." Ted patted him on the shoulder. "Those things give me the creeps too. In fact, you should see Dora around them, she's positively terrified of them but won't admit it."

"Well, that's your bloody fault, Ted. Giving her _Day of the Triffids_ to read when she's eleven and has a mother constantly bringing home odd plants," Andromeda replied, having shed the protective mask.

"Dora didn't become a Auror because I gave her a book to read," Ted replied putting a hand on his wife's shoulder.

Andromeda glanced at him. "Well, it certainly didn't help."

---

Friday was marked by the absence of Andromeda, who had gone off to speak with some of her distributors. Neville finished his daily work by the early afternoon, and without Andromeda to tell him anything else he could possibly do, was spending some time tending to the _Mimbulus_.

"Wotcher Nev. You bored?" Ted was walking through the greenhouse.

"I don't really have any work I can do."

"Well, why don't you help me out this afternoon?"

Neville followed Ted into a rather large garage, inside was a desk covered in a ton of papers and shelves upon shelves of what Neville recognised to be muggle appliances. The whole place was a mess, the paper randomly scattered and bits of broken muggle appliance and what looked like string with metal running through it all over the floor. Neville suspected that this was the one place Andromeda's love of cleanliness did not reach.

"This is where I work." Ted announced. "Andi thought that if you were bored you might want to learn how a charm is made."

Neville had always known that magic hadn't always been spells a person memorised, a wizard had created those spells, but very few people knew how to do it. Neville doubted even Hermione could do it. "Yeah."

"Well." Ted beamed. "The two things needed to create a spell are imagination and patience." He paused. "And, well, I suppose the ability to do magic helps a bit."

"Don't you have to be powerful?" Neville asked; he had always thought you had to have a special talent, be someone like Dumbledore and Harry, to be able to do it.

"That's what most people think but it's not true. All you have to do it point you wand, and will it to happen." Ted pointed his wand at a nearby piece of string, and said quietly, "come here."

Surprisingly for Neville, who had though that objects only did that when you used a summoning charm, the object floated up into the air and into Ted's outstretched hand.

"Of course that's not very imaginative, that's just me being sick of everybody using Latin all the time. It's rather elitist."

"So I could do that, I though it would be harder than that. I mean, I though making a spell would be harder than that, but anyone can do it, right?" Neville asked intrigued by the idea that he could one day just sit at home and create a spell. It seemed too easy to be true.

"Yeah, and it doesn't matter what the word is. Try it yourself, get that piece of wire there to spin around in a circle." Ted was pointing at one of the odd pieces of sting.

"I can't I'm still underage," Neville replied, finding he was quite disappointed to be able to give it a try.

"Oh," Ted replied disappointed. "I forget that sometimes, haven't spend much time with teenagers since Dora moved out years ago."

"But it's really that easy. I could do it?" Neville asked, still in disbelief.

"Only imagination and patience, Neville. The only people who seem to understand that these days are dark wizards. That's why the dark arts are so difficult to defend against. As soon as you've figured out a counter curse to one attack, some sick bastard has come up with another and you have to start all over again."

Neville found himself wondering what horrible curses the Death Eaters were creating at the moment, as cold tingling went up and down his spine as he had the image of Bellatrix Lestrange and Snape laughing as they though of new ways to torture people who looked awfully like Neville's parents.

"Are you working on counter curses?" he asked.

"Nah, the ministry won't let me, they keep the war stuff to themselves." He obviously noticed what Neville was thinking as he quickly added, "but don't worry they've got a whole Department on it at the moment, all the Unspeakables. They're really good at it too."

"So what do you do?" Neville asked, wanting to change the topic away from the Department of Mysteries, he still felt a little bad about contributing to the destruction.

"Me, I'm trying to do the impossible. Making a magical substitute for electricity." Neville knew the word from somewhere but could not quite place it. Ted laughed at the puzzled look on Neville face. "That's the stuff muggles use as a magic. It gets all these appliances to work."

Neville did not really know that much about muggles, but he did know that their substitutes were not as good as the real thing. "Why would you want to do that?"

"Because muggles have discovered something wizards haven't, how to have more fun. They've got televisions and stereos and computers and play stations. I want to be the guy who supplies these things to the wizarding world."

Neville had no clue what he was talking about.

"You look puzzled now, but just trust me on this one, the wizarding world would be a much better place if we could just play CDs." Neville decided that like Luna, Ted had a good heart, but was just a little bit nuts.

---

Neville spent Saturday tending to his vegetable garden that had been woefully neglected over the week. Somehow spending all day tending to plants, then coming home and tending to more plants did not appeal to even Neville who loved all things plant-related. Some lettuces had grown and Neville presented them to Dusty, who protested very loudly that it was not master's job tend to the vegetable patch. Both house-elves felt that way, which merely reflected his Gran's opinion on green fingers. Neville thought they were all wrong, it was not beneath him to grown and tend his own lettuces, whether he enjoyed it or not.

Duck arrived in the afternoon, it was becoming a common occurrence, Luna had written every day since her first letter had arrived. As it had turned out it had not been her birthday, she had just been given her present because according to Luna, it was not a surprise if birthday presents were given on a persons birthday, with Neville had to agree with.

It was not usually very important stuff that she wrote, it was about what the Quibbler was doing, some more of Luna's conspiracy theories and Luna's predictions of Neville's future from tea leaves. Luna seemed to not have noticed that there was a war going on. Many people didn't speak about the war, Andromeda and Ted did not mention it very often, but with an Auror for a daughter Neville suspected they thought of it often. Neville's Gran didn't speak of it much either, only when there was some progress made for their side, which was not a common occurrence. But Luna was different; she seemed to exist in her own world where there was no war. And for that Neville envied her.

_Dear Neville_

_Went to Diagon Alley today and visited my Dad's offices which are there since I've decided that I am going to be like you and work somewhere for some experience over the summer. Dad thinks its great so I'm writing more stories and working by replying to the letters, its lots of fun and I get to watch the people mill around Diagon Alley from his window. Also went to the Weasley joke shop they are very clever. The Weasley family are great. How is your weekend going? _

_Bye Luna_

Neville picked up his quill and wrote a letter back about fixing his garden and how he was going to London tomorrow by would probably not be in Diagon Alley. He neglected to mention his parents. Only Ron, Hermione and Harry knew about them, and he wanted to keep it that way. He wished her well as a secretary and journalist.

Neville then turned his mind to more pressing matters and put out some good clothes for the next day and went for a hunt around the garden for some nice wildflowers for his mother.

---

When Neville and his Gran arrived at St Mungo's the desk clerk didn't even give them a second glance as they walked past her and onto the fourth floor and the Janus Thickey Ward. They walked past Gilderoy Lockhart, who waved them hello. This was instantly followed by Miriam Stout, the healer on the ward who was also in the process of waiving them hello, question Gilderoy as to whether he remembered them, to which he dreamily replied, "no. Should I?"

Neville and his Gran finally reached the two beds at the end of the ward, and Neville sat down between his mother and his father, who were propped up on their beds, as his Gran went about pulling the curtains to give them some privacy.

"Hello Mum. Hello Dad." They both stared at him, but there was nothing in their eyes, no sign of recognition, just seeing where the source of the noise was coming from.

"Frank, Alice, how great to see you." Augusta Longbottom gave them a hug in turn. "Neville, tell them about what you have been up to."

Neville didn't much see the point in actually going into details, so he summarised. "Well, I've finished my sixth year at Hogwarts early. There was a Death Eater attack and Professor Snape killed Professor Dumbledore. Turns out I was right about Professor Snape. I fought a few of them myself but got injured when I ran into a Death Eater barrier. It was a stupid thing to do, I'm sure you two wouldn't have made that mistake, but now I'm as good as new. And I got a summer job; I'm working with plants for a research and potions goods company, so I'm very busy most of the week…And that's about it really."

His Gran glared at him, she was probably hoping for some more elaboration but Neville decided against it. She pick up where he left off and went into all the news and gossip about what was happening to her and her friends. Neville wondered if his parents would be interested in the stuff if they were not suffering from spell damage.

Alice Longbottom spent the entire time staring at Neville. If Neville did not know better, he would think that she was remembering him as her son, but she did this every time he came to visit. Neville had learnt by now not to get his hopes up. As his Gran prattled on about the war, he took up his mother's hand, and started stroking it. He had discovered some time ago that it soothed her. He had been thinking of her when he first started stroking his _Mimbulus_.

"Look Mum," he said quietly while his Gran was engrossed with his father. "I've got more gum for you." He reached into his pocket and produced a pack of ten he had bought through owl order while at Hogwarts. "You have to share it with dad, okay?"

Alice took a look at the gum in Neville's hand, and opened her mouth as if to say something, but it just hung open loosely. Then she made a quick dash for the table top next to Neville with her free hand, and grabbed an old piece of gum wrapper, and gave it to Neville.

They had been doing this for the best part of ten years, Neville would bring gum, and his mum would give him a wrapper from the last bag of gum he brought. Neville leaned over and kissed his mum on the forehead. "I love you too, mum," he whispered.

By this point his Gran had finished her talk and turned back to Neville. "Well, I think its time we better be off. Good bye Alice, Good bye Frank." She got up and started opening the curtains.

Neville pulled away from his mother, she seemed unwilling to let go of his hand. "I'm sorry, but I have to go," he muttered as he pulled his hand out of hers.

"Good bye Dad." He gave his father a hug. Neville and his Gran left the two former great Aurors lying in their beds, those sad, blank expressions still present on their faces.

Back at home, after dinner, Neville dug around in his closet and found a tiny wooden box that his Grandfather had given him. He opened up the small metal latch, and placed the new gum wrapper inside it with the others he had collected over the years.

Sitting at his desk was Duck, waiting patiently as always with a letter tied around his leg. Luna had written about her next article on how the Hogwarts founders were also still alive and well and hiding in Singapore. Her father had apparently made her the official Hogwarts correspondent for the Quibbler so she was in charge of informing the whole world that there was someone who was alive and who could save them from Voldemort. Neville did not need one of Luna's theories to believe that, he knew Harry could. What worried Neville was that he knew Harry, so did Luna, and they both knew that poor Harry was just human and capable of failing. Luna seemed to need somebody who was infallible, invincible and immortal to believe in right now. Neville did not blame her, there had once been Dumbledore to fill that position. But he was dead, along with the hopes of so many.

Neville picked up his quill, now looking at home on his desk next to a half filled inkpot and some small roles of parchment.

_Dear Luna. _He wrote. _There is somebody who can save us from You-Know-Who, but it's not the founders and its not Dumbledore. It's Harry._ He then felt an overwhelming urge to confide in her. _I went to visit my parents today, they seem to be doing fine._ That was all he managed. He didn't want to burden her. _Bye Neville. _He folded up the scarp of paper and attached it to Duck's leg. The Owl quickly took off in the direction of Catchpole.

He quickly grabbed a piece of parchment and started another letter. _Dear Luna. _He scribbled quickly. _I went to visit my parents today. They still don't recognise me, but Mum remembered the gum like she always does. _He started scribbling on the page more furiously, and he felt his cheeks go red. _I don't know why even bother. They are never going to remember me. I'm never going to know them. But they are still there, somewhere. Some days I think it might be easier if they had not survived the attack. _

Neville stared at what he had just written. _I think it might be easier if they had not survived the attack._ He was horrified. Grabbing the letter, he tore at it again and again until there were just little pieces littered all over his desk. But destroying the evidence did not change anything; he knew what he had written. Neville Longbottom wanted his parents dead because it would be easier for him. Wracked with guilt, he fell onto his bed, face first into his pillow as tears welled up in his eyes, hoping that the darkness would make everything go away. There he stayed until he drifted off to sleep.

---

"_Neville!" a woman's voice called in the distance. "Neville, where are you?" Neville could see anything but blackness. _

_"Here!" he called hoping she could find him. "I'm here!"_

_"Neville, where are you?" she called again in her ethereal voice. She could not hear him, she could not see him and he could not see her, could not move around to find her. "Neville, please come back to me, Neville."_

_"Neville, wake up!" she called in a louder, more realistic voice. "NEVILLE, WAKE UP!" _

Neville woke up suddenly, rolled out of his bed still fully clothed from the day before; he had fallen asleep crying into his pillow. He looked around, he was sure the woman had been in the room. It was dark, but the full moon lit the sky like a weak sun, shining light into his room.

There was no woman, but it was then that he heard the howl outside his window.


	4. Run

**Chapter Four – Run**

**Author's Notes: **Thanks to Nathaniel for betaing.

* * *

Neville froze. Only one creature in Britain could make that noise and it was not a dog.

He leapt to his feet and scrambled around for his wand. He had fallen asleep without intending, so had not put it up in a safe place where he could find it easily. Rummaging around in the dark he finally found it on the floor where it had rolled under the bed.

The werewolf howled again. This was followed more howls. Neville realised there was a whole pack and they sounded close. They stopped and the area went silent.

Neville suddenly realised the wards had not gone off which meant Gran would still be asleep. She could sleep through anything. Worse was the Aurors would not know they were in danger. They were alone.

He had to get to his Gran.

Neville headed for his bedroom door. Realising that some might already be in the house, he pushed his ear to the door.

Nothing. Just silence.

He turned the door handle slowly, careful not to make any noise. He pushed the door open quietly scanning around the hallway. Nothing. He had to get to his Gran. Her room was on the second floor to the East. Neville's room was far away on the first floor to the West. The second staircase leading to the second floor was not far away from his room. But it was rotten through; anybody who went up it risked falling to his or her death courtesy of a rotten floorboard.

The only other way was the main staircase, the bottom of which opened out directly onto the front door. If they had not gotten into the house yet he would be okay.

"Lumos," he whispered, filling the hallway with light as he walked quietly down it. He knew it was a risky thing to do, but with werewolves it did not really matter if you could see them or not, they could still hear you or smell you regardless.

He had barely crept along a metre before he heard a loud crash from the front door.

Neville's heart skipped a beat and then started running. His only hope was that he made to the stairwell before they got through the front door.

He heard more and more noise from the door as he ran. Then horrifically, he heard the wood creak and split. He was now only one corner from being able to see the front door from the banister. Part of him knew it was ludicrous running towards the noise, but he did it anyway, he needed to get to his Gran.

He reached the corner, turning out his wand light wordlessly and crouched to the ground. From the banister, he could see three werewolves wandering in the corridor, noises low to the ground, sniffing for any signs of Neville and his Gran. Neville remained on his knees. Hoping they would search the ground floor before moving up the stairs, he crawled along the floor, trying to keep away from any floorboards that he knew creaked.

He held his breath, hoping to not make any noise, but he had no idea if he really did for all he could hear was the pounding of his heart. '_Please, please don't let them be able to hear that,' _he repeated in his head again and he crawled slowly above the man-eating beasts below him.

Suddenly one stuck its noise into the sky. Neville stopped, and then moved his legs so he could take off at a run in an instant if it had spotted him. But something much, much worse than being spotted by the werewolves had just occurred.

Dementors were floating in the front door. Neville counted eight before noticing they were not wandering around, they were headed for the stairs with purpose and direction. Then he remembered, Dementors did not need sight or sound to find their prey, they could track down a person by locating their soul. There was now no way he could hide.

Neville was trapped; if he moved, the werewolves would notice him, if he did not, the Dementors would find him. He made a split second decision, got up and ran for the stairs.

He did not see it, but he knew the wolves were on him now. His only chance was his head start and his knowledge of the house, but when he was only two meters away from the stairs, the first of the Dementors arrived at the second floor.

Neville felt any hope within him dissipate. Whether it was from the effect of the Dementors or just the sight of them, he did not know, he did not have time to question. He stopped suddenly and turned on the stop, his feet slipping on the carpet as he went causing him to come crashing down on his knees and skid a distance. It hurt, but he could sense the hooded Dementor behind him, sucking any possible ounce of happiness he possessed at that time, little though it was. He got to his knees and back towards the second staircase.

He knew he had a chance, a small one of outrunning the Dementors, but once the wolves arrive he was done for, but Neville knew there was no other option. He ran. There was a chance, he told himself.

Neville rounded the first corner, when he heard a loud thump. The wolves had arrived on the first floor landing, and were now in hot pursuit, following the Dementors or following his scent.

He dared not look back, as he ran through his house, through the twists and turns of the corridor. The cold feel of the Dementors no longer was on his back, but as he rounded the last corner, the relief of no longer being chased by the hooded beings was replaced by the sounds of snarling and breathing from the werewolves that must have overtaken them.

Neville turned the corner and spotted the door leading to the staircase at the end of the hallway, only metres to go. His wand in hand, he yelled, "_alohomora,_" at the top of his lungs that were burning from so much physical effort. He felt like he was going to collapse, but some part of him kept on going. He had to make the staircase.

The doorway swung open wide. The grunts and pants of the werewolves grew louder, and Neville hurtled through the doorway, grabbed the door with his free hand and slammed it shut with all his might.

The door failed to close; instead it bounced of the body of the lead wolf, which must have just been lunging at Neville before he grabbed the door. With no time to stop and no time to wonder if the stairs would hold his weight, Neville started to run up them.

The first few steps were fine, he seemed to put a slight bit of distance between him and the wolves, either the spiral staircase must have confused them or they did not trust the ancient wood.

However, by the time Neville was a quarter of the way to the second floor the wood started to make violent groaning noises under his feet.

Then disaster struck. A stair collapsed under his foot.

Neville's leg sank through it, bits of wood ripping through his trousers and into his leg causing him to scream out in agony.

Neville pulled at his sunken leg, but it was not budging, it was stuck and all he achieved was that the splinters dug themselves deeper into his flesh. He then turned to see a wolf rounding the bend slowly. Drool hung down from its mouth as it spotted its trapped prey. Neville pulled at his leg again causing himself more pain, but it was to no avail, he was trapped, and the wolf knew it.

The werewolf inched closer and closer to Neville, staring at him, seemingly savouring the moment, its mouth salivating at the sight of him. Neville pulled his body as far away as he could get and continued to struggle desperately. The wolf opened its jaws. Neville started to panic so much he felt like he could no longer breathe, he covered his neck with his arms and closed his eyes. He could feel the wolf's hot breath on his face and could smell the scent of rotting flesh on its saliva. Neville waited for the enviable pain from the werewolf's jaws ripping into his flesh, turning him and then killing him.

There was suddenly a loud groan from the wood. The staircase could not take the wolf's weight.

It happened very quickly. A loud cracking noise came from the step below where Neville was trapped. Neville lunged his upper body towards a higher step and felt the hole around his leg get larger. He used all his strength and pulled his mangled leg out of the hole.

The wolf let out a small yelp as the platform below his feet collapsed, taking him down into the darkness below. Neville got up and partly ran, partly limped as the remaining part of the staircase swayed violently below his feet. After what seemed like a precarious eternity, he reached the top of the flight of stairs and pulled the door open.

Stepping into the second floor corridor, there was nothing. No wolves, no Dementors, just an empty corridor and empty rooms. Neville quietly limped his way along the hallway using the walls for support to take the weight off his injured leg. He moved as quickly as he could, but as he rounded the corner to part of the corridor above the first floor landing, his heart dropped. Some Dementors had not bothered to chase him; they had just glided up the stairs where they seemed to have congregated as if they were waiting for him.

Neville knew he was spotted as they turned their faceless hoods towards him. He gripped his wand tighter, he knew now he had just one hope left.

"_Expecto Patronum_!" he cried at the top of his lungs, pointing his wand at the group of Dementors. Nothing happened, but he hoped his voice was loud enough for his Gran to hear and escape.

"_EXPECTO PATROUM_!" he cried again, louder this time. Again nothing happened, and the Dementors moved forward towards him, surrounding him.

_Think of a good thought. _He heard Harry's voice in his head, trying to coax a Patronus out of Neville in DA class. Neville tried, but very little came. He concentrated hard. DA lessons. Getting an O in Herbology. Winning the house cup for Gryffindor. Watching his _Mimbulus_ grow.

"_Expecto Patronum_!" he yelled again, his voice now hoarse as if yelling loudly would make any difference. A shiver of white light emitted from his wand, causing the advancing Dementors to slow, but not stop. The light faded out as fast as it came.

Darkness and despair surrounded Neville and drew him down with it. He had failed his Gran, he had failed himself and now he was going to lose his soul. One Dementor moved closer, outstretching a bony hand to hold Neville down as it readied its victim to apply the kiss. As it placed his hand on Neville's shoulder, holding him in place, Neville suddenly had a feeling of great relief. The end was coming but it would free him from the despair of life. For the second time that evening he closed his eyes and waited for the end.

Then softly out of the gloom of his mind a woman's voice emerged. It was not his Gran's, but rather the one from his dream. "_Destination, determination, deliberation_," she called, he voice echoing through Neville's head. If Neville were not incapable of doing much thinking at the time he may have mused over the fact that in his final moments he seemed to be losing his mind, just like his parents.

What Neville did managed to do in those final moments, with the Dementor's wide mouth coming closer and closer, was repeat those words to himself in his mind, unlocking something practiced and ingrained. With a loud 'crack' Neville left the corridor.

---

Neville could not see anything. He felt a strange force constricting his whole body. Then suddenly there was nothing.

He fell through the air, hitting the ground hard. He could not think. Everything was black. There was no sound. He could not move.

Slowly he felt sensation returning. He felt pain flow through his body, radiating from this forearms, knees and right leg. Then sound. There were people surrounding him, he could hear voices but could not make out what they were saying.

He realised, that his eyes were screwed shut. He forced himself to prise his eyelids open, fearful of where he was. Neville realised he was lying face down on a tiled floor. He was staring directly at a pair of brown leather shoes and the tatty, muddy ends of a red robe with gold lining.

The people surrounding him were wearing long robes that nearly touched the floor, all the same colours. Neville moved his arms, trying to pull himself off the floor, but failed miserably.

"How did you get here?" Neville could finally make out what the brown shoed person was saying, or rather demanding to know. Neville did not know how. He did not know where he was. Neville tried to get the words out of his mouth, but his throat would not move.

Then another of the voices became distinguished from the crowd. "Neville?" Black boots and blue pants pushed their way past brown shoes. "It's Neville Longbottom," the female voice announced. "He's not a threat."

There was a murmur from the crowd. While the woman kneeled down, placing an arm under one of Neville's. Neville felt another pair around his other arm. They both hoisted him up and managed to place him in a sitting position, propped up against a nearby wall. He was surrounded by quite a few people, all wearing the uniform of an Auror robes except the woman crouched before him staring at him with concerned eyes. Neville recognised the woman now, though her hair had changed.

"What's happened?" Tonks asked gently.

Neville tried to say something again but his voice chocked. He remembered his Gran, and forced a word out of his mouth. "W-werewolves."

The effort forced his throat to constrict more. Tonks turned to the people surrounding him. "It'll be at the Longbottom house in Lancashire. He lives with his Grandmother," she announced.

The Aurors began to move off in a hurry, Tonks and another stayed put. Neville knew he had to warn them of the Dementors. He started again. "De…men…" he managed to stammer before his throat seized up again.

"Dementors as well!" Tonks yelled at the leaving Aurors.

The nearby Auror crouched down and spoke quietly to Tonks. "Can you take care of this? Get a statement?"

"Yes. Go!" she responded quickly and he got up and left. She moved over and sat down next to Neville, leaning her back against the wall supporting him. "We're not going to move for a while. Okay? It looks like you've come bloody close to a Dementor, so I'll let you rest for a while first…Now let's have a look at this leg of yours."

She scooted down the floor on her bottom, then pulled out her wand and applied a severing charm to the fabric covering his bloody right leg. Pulling his sock and the fabric off she examined the wound. She smiled. "Well, congratulations Neville. You're not a werewolf…Though, I suppose you already know that." In the moments at home, he hadn't given much thought to being bitten. But he had not managed to save his Gran. Avoiding being bitten did not give him much to be grateful for if his Gran has been kissed or eaten.

Tonks kept on looking at his leg. "I can't fix this," she finally announced. "You're not bleeding that much, and the cuts aren't that deep, but you'll need a healer to get all those bits of wood out." She stood up. "I'm just going over there." She pointed in the direction ahead of Neville. "There's some chocolate in my desk."

She wandered off, and Neville had the chance to take in his surroundings. He was in a drab building; the walls were painted an ugly grey with the occasional window showing the night sky. It was furnished with row upon row of small cubicles, each containing a desk usually covered in paper, and more often then not decorated with pictures of people and thing that Neville could not make out from the distance away he was sitting.

Tonks returned, chocolate bar in one hand, and a fizzy drink can in the other. He noticed she was not wearing robes like her colleagues had been; instead blue pants and a woollen coat in a garish shade of pink. Her hair was exactly the same colour.

"You've managed to apparate into Auror headquarters." Tonks sat down next to him again. "I don't think that's ever happened before. It's going to cause quite a stir in the morning." She opened and unwrapped the chocolate, handing it to Neville, who discovered that though they were stiff, his arms seemed to be working again. He placed the sweet substance in his mouth, and forced himself to bite a piece and chew. Eating chocolate had never been so hard, but as he swallowed it, he seemed to regain more control over his body.

"Did you do it on purpose?" she asked.

"No." Neville felt a tear run down his cheek. "I was trying to save my Gran."

Tonks wrapped her arms around him tight, bringing some warmth to his body. She gently leant her head against his shoulder. "We'll do our best," she whispered.

---

Somehow, he managed to finish his bar of chocolate. Feeling more able to move. Tonks seemed to notice the change, and pulled out the soda can.

"Feel up to a portkey?" she asked.

Neville shook his head, and placed his hand on the can. Tonks tapped her wand against it and spoke the incantation, "_portus_." He felt the hook behind his navel and the world rush past and before he knew it he and Tonks were both sitting in the floor of St Mungo's waiting room.

Tonks jumped to her feet immediately, drawing attention to the two of them. Healers came rushing through doors, a bed floated above the ground following magically behind them.

"One injury," Tonks announced to the onlookers. "Possibly more coming." Neville's mind turned to his Gran again and the Aurors that had left for his home. They could be injured or die trying to save his Gran, he realised. While things were bad for those who were attacked, it was always the Aurors who had to pick up the pieces the next day. "Dementor attack and some cuts and grazes to his right leg. Werewolves were involved but I'm confident he has no bites."

"Alright," a blond haired woman told Tonks. Neville felt light all of a sudden and was started moving through the air. He realised that many wands pointing to him were levitating his body on to the bed. He would have climbed up there himself if they had asked.

"Here, drink this." A potions bottle was thrust into his hand. He wanted to know what was going on, and was about to protest to Tonks, but he saw her nod

"It's better than chocolate, that stuff," she added.

Gulping down the green liquid, Neville felt himself grow weary. No sooner had his head touched the pillow on the bed quickly moving through St. Mungo's then he fell asleep.


	5. In the Morning

**Chapter Five - In the Morning **

**Author's Notes: **A great amount of thanks to my beta Nathaniel who hopefully is not being slowly being driven insane by football.

* * *

It was a black sleep. There were no dreams, but Neville still found it very hard to wake. His eyes would not focus, and as soon as they did, he would drift off again. 

Eventually, Neville managed to open his eyes fully and sit himself up on the bed to prevent himself from drifting off again. He was in a private room, something he knew to not be common in St. Mungo's. He stared around the white walled room to discover that he was completely alone.

They must not have found his Gran. Or she was in a different room and injured, he realised.

Then he noticed the voices outside the door.

"You need to get his account, he may have some idea," a man with a gruff voice said. Idea of what, he wondered. Who attacked? Neville did not think you had to be too intelligent to figure out that.

"It might be a while. He's sleeping at the moment." It was Tonks.

"Well, if he sleeps for too much longer, you will have to wake him up," the gruff man replied.

"Shouldn't you put somebody else on his case…it's just that…," Tonks asked, she sounded uncomfortable. Neville was reminded of the way she acted when she found him in his parent's greenhouse. She must be just as uncomfortable with the two families mixing as Neville had at first.

"He knows you, that's much better than expecting him to open up to a stranger," was the reply. A short silence followed.

"Alright." The door handle to his room turned and Tonks walked into the room.

"And Tonks, you don't have to keep on coming into the office during the full moon. You've made your point and I believe you. But the orders go higher up than me."

"Right," Tonks sighed.

"Morning Neville." She made a sort of half-smile but it failed to hide the grave look of concern on her face.

"Have they found my Gran?" he asked quickly.

Tonks sighed and sat down on the chair next to his bed. Neville felt all the blood drain from his face. "You have to understand, you've only been out for just over an hour so we haven't been able to do much yet."

"What does that mean?"

"Neville." She looked at him with her big dark eyes. "When the Aurors got to your home, it was in flames." She paused. Neville did not understand. Death Eaters did not burn down homes. They just murdered people. That's what they always do. "The Muggle authorities had been called, it's chaos and the Aurors on the scene couldn't go in."

Neville suddenly felt like he was going to be sick. It was all too much. Tonks grabbed his hand. "She may have made it out. And there are people - good people - all over the country looking for her. If she apparated out, we'll find her."

Neville did not know what to do. His Gran was missing, possibly dead, savaged by Werewolves or kissed by Dementors or burnt up in flames. His home was on fire, flames probably leaping out the windows while a green sign hung in the air. Guilt and grief, despair and rage were all working their way through his body and he felt like it would not, that it could not possibly all fit beneath his skin. And all he had for comfort was a pink-haired woman holding his hand tightly. It was not enough.

He felt a tear roll down his face and his lip stammer and his throat constrict sharply. Neville did not cry. He howled. Tonks held on to his hand for dear life, rubbing his back as the raw emotion sought its way out of his body.

Eventually, he tired. It was like nothing could come out anymore. Neville felt numb. Though, compared to the guilt it was a relief he supposed. Tonks passed a box of tissues and he cleaned his face up. Neville felt quite ashamed for having burst out into tears in front of an Auror. Tonks would expect him to be brave and rein the emotions in. Not blubber all over her.

"Can I ask you some questions about what happened?" Tonks asked quietly.

He was about to reply when there was a loud ruckus in the corridor. Tonks turned her head.

"This is outside visiting hours, you must leave," came a voice from down the corridor.

"Hey, we don't want to be here either." The voice was familiar to Neville. He recognised it as one of the Weasly twins. If everything was as normal, the other would soon follow that statement with one of his own.

"Yeah, hospitals aren't exactly our favourite place. We're just trying to find Tonks."

Tonks was up quickly, and swung open the door. "What that bloody hell?" she asked.

"O Great Auror Tonks!" one of the twins exclaimed. "Do we have good news for you."

"We got your message and we were just about to head out."

"When guess who should come banging on the door of our little shop asking for help?"

They did not need to answer their own question; a familiar female voice came booming down the corridor. "Where is my grandson?"

Neville's heart leapt. Gran was alive! He moved to jump out of bed but found that his legs were stuck there, trapped under the tightly folded hospital sheets.

More people had arrived in the corridor. "Mrs. Longbottom, you must sit down," came another voice.

"He's in here," Tonks added, and quickly she and the twins entered the room.

"Hello," said one

"Hey Nev," followed the other.

Quickly followed by his Gran, who was wearing a nightgown but looking as frightening and as stern as ever, with a number of St. Mungo's staff in tow.

"Gran!"

"Neville! I heard you…and I saw the Dementors…there was no other way…I though you were dead." His Gran burst into tears before arriving at his bed. Neville had never seen his Gran cry before. Not even when his Grandfather died. She arrived at his bedside and started fussing with him, making sure he was okay he supposed.

"I thought you were dead too," he replied.

His Grandmother recovered from her emotional outburst as soon as it has started. "Nonsense. It takes a bit more than a few cloaks and dogs to finish off a Longbottom. You should know that by now."

"Yeah," he replied half-heartedly. His Gran was as stubborn and proud as ever. Neville had often wondered if anything would phase her family pride.

Suddenly a large blond haired man burst into the room. "Glad to see you are alright, Augusta, but you must let the medi-wizards look after you." He was wide and a little short but seemingly made entirely of muscle, though Neville noticed a large scar down his face. His right eye must have been damaged in an attack, since the iris was missing, there was just black and while, not matching the brown other eye at all. Neville recognised him from the pictures he had seen of him in the Daily Prophet, Gawain Robards, Head of the Auror department and from the sound of his voice the man Tonks has been conversing with earlier.

"And who will look after my grandson while I'm gone."

"I assure you, nothing will happen to your grandson. Tonks here is on top of it." He pointed at Tonks with his left arm, which was noticeably missing his index and middle finger. Tonks looked a little sheepish but stood up straight, as did the twins standing next to her. Neville suspected they were all being subjected to his Grandmother's glare.

"The Black girl?"

"Augusta, this is not the time for this argument." The big man swept an arm around her and led her out of the room, followed by all the St. Mungo's staff.

"Glad to see you alright, Neville," started one of the twins. Neville was not entirely sure, but he thought it was Fred.

"Yeah, nasty business, those bloody Dementors," stated George.

"Can you two send a message to the others, tell them the search is off and possibly send these away." Tonks thrust a few scraps of paper into Fred's hands.

Fred shuffled through the paper. "Ooh, message to lover boy I see."

"Like bloody rabbits you two are," started George.

"It was a werewolf attack," she said quietly, looking quite pained.

The twins looked very seriously at her for a second, before the smiles returned to their faces.

"Aye, aye Captain," Fred marched out of the door. "Good seeing you, Nev."

George saluted Tonks and turned to Neville. "Next time you're in London, stop by the store and well give you a U-No-Poo t-shirt, compliments of the house." He grinned and followed his brother.

Tonks sat down on the chair again. "Well, now can I ask you some questions about what happened?"

Neville retold the tale of what he had experienced. Tonks asked questions throughout while a red quill scribbled down everything they were both saying onto a notepad she had produced from her pocket. She seemed particularly interested in the werewolves, she kept on asking questions about how they had moved and behaved. Finally, when he reached the end of the tale he left out the part of the woman's voice, just saying that he had suddenly found himself at Auror headquarters. Tonks packed away her quill, ending the interview.

"Well, I'll bet your parents did that," Tonks added.

"What?" Neville asked, wondering if Tonks knew something about the voice he had heard.

"There are ways that you can get people who apparate with no destination in mind to end up at a safe place, a leading spell. I reckon your parents made it so if your Grandparents were ever in danger, they would end up at Auror headquarters where it's pretty safe. We're not actually allowed to do that, but some do anyway."

"Oh." Neville wondered if the voice of the woman, whom he strongly suspected was his mother, was part of the charm as well.

Then he remembered what had happened to his home, he had spent so much time worried about his Gran he had forgotten about the other occupants, Dusty, Blinky, Trevor and his _Mimbulus_. He told Tonks of this. She seemed quite confident that Blinky and Dusty would have made it out all right. House-elves are great survivors, she told him.

"But why would they burn down my house anyway. Don't they normally leave it standing?"

"Yeah. I don't really know, Neville, but between you and me, yours is the second house in as many weeks."

"Oh," Neville replied not knowing what to make of this development.

"Don't worry. We'll catch the bugger," Tonks added.

Neville read the papers, so he was not sure whether she was confident in that. However, Tonks yawned, Neville was starting to feel sleepy himself, and he soon drifted off.

---

He awoke some time later; sunlight through a crack in the curtains had landed on his eyes, forcing his body to acknowledge the day. Tonks had managed to acquire a pillow and was sleeping next to his bed, with wand in hand, seemingly guarding his bedside in her sleep. Next to her in a chair was his Gran, also sleeping, he head dipped down as far as he neck would let it, tilted towards the ground.

Neville lay there for a while, collecting his thoughts. He remembered his dream, a woman screaming at him. He was pretty sure it was his mother. She somehow knew he was in danger. If she had not woken him up, if she had not reminded him of his apparition lessons he was confident he would not have survived. He would be a soulless shell burnt up in the flames.

But how did she know?

His Grandfather had always told him that his parents were watching over him. Keeping Neville safe. He had stopped believing in that a few years ago, but now he was not so sure. His parents had been in limbo for so many years. Not dead, but neither were they living. Maybe they were just lost.

Neville knew what he had to do. He had to figure out what was going on. Maybe what this night had done was allowing him to see that his parents could be saved. But he did not know where to start.

The door to the room quietly unlatched, causing Tonks to wake and stand up instantly, wand in hand. This in turn caused Gran to wake up. She glared at the young Auror, until she noticed who had walked into the room, obviously to Neville's Gran someone who was much more deserving of her glare.

"Mum," Tonks said with surprise in her voice.

"You," Neville's Gran stated. Andromeda froze in the doorway.

"Er, Hello." Ted walked in behind his wife.

"Hi," Neville said quietly.

"Wotcher Dad."

"Really, couldn't you wait until later to visit your daughter? Have you no respect for my family?"

"Actually," Andromeda replied hesitantly, speaking for the first time. "We came to visit Neville."

It suddenly dawned on Neville that it was a Monday. He should have been at their house for work some time ago. "I'm sorry. I should have sent a note."

"Oh, I did that for you, don't worry," stated Tonks, who had relaxed since seeing her parents, though only a little.

"Yeah, we came to see how you were," Ted replied.

Neville noticed his Gran looking from Andromeda to Neville and back again. "What is going on here? Neville, what haven't you told me?"

Neville wanted nothing more than to disappear into his bed, he had not planned on his Gran finding out whom he was spending all his time with, or for that matter Andromeda and Ted finding out he had been lying to his Gran.

"Er…Um…this is Demeter Willows," he said quietly.

His Gran looked outraged. "Do you have any idea who this woman is, who this family are?"

"Yes," Neville responded meekly. Ted and Andromeda looked shocked, their daughter had crossed her arms and was looking rather annoyed.

"Their daughter protecting you is one thing." Tonks rolled her eyes to this statement. "But lying behind my back," she spluttered. "Do you have any respect for your parents?"

"Yes, I just…" he protested.

"Oh, this is just ridiculous, Augusta." A stern voice announced from behind Ted Tonks. Ted moved quickly to allow Professor McGonagall to enter the room. "All these silly little blood feuds aren't doing us any good."

"What are you doing here, Minerva?" Gran asked curtly.

"I came to offer my house in Edinburgh for your use."

"You knew about this, didn't you? How could you?"

"I was looking out for the interests of one of my students. Although I did expect him to tell you." She glared over her spectacles at Neville, who was still wishing he were invisible. Only Ted and Andromeda had managed to succeed at this, nobody seemed to notice them standing by the wall. Tonks was silent and still but the way her arms were crossed gave Neville the impression she was fuming.

"This is a betrayal," Augusta announced.

"This is a disagreement about what is best for your Grandson. He was given a choice, nobody forced him to be involved with the Tonks family, but he made it."

"They're really nice," Neville managed to add. Andromeda smiled at him, his Gran merely turned to glare at him.

"But it is not safe. Their loyalties."

"How dare you!" Andromeda stammered. "You know perfectly well how my family has suffered at the hands of the Death Eaters, and yet you still think that I would run to the arms of my sisters!" Ted placed a hand on his wife's shoulder.

At this point Tonks decided to break her silence. "Their house is safe. I wouldn't let them live there if it wasn't."

"That girl's relationship."

Tonks rolled her eyes again. "Neville, at any time last night did I have fur and a tail?" she asked through her teeth.

Neville though it was an odd question, but answered it with a quiet "no" all the same.

"Well them," McGonagall replied. "There is no danger. All I ask you to do is respect your Grandsons choice, Augusta. He is about to become of age and it's about time to let him make some decisions for himself."

Gran sat down into her chair. She continued to glare at Andromeda, who seemed to want to disappear just as much as Neville. "My offer still stands. You can use my house. Merlin knows I've got no use for it at the moment," Professor McGonagall added.

"Actually," Andromeda stepped in. "Ted and I though that Neville could stay at our home. He spends enough time there."

"Really?" Neville added. He hadn't given much though to where he would go after he was released from St. Mungo's. The fact that his home had been lost had not really sunken in yet.

"Yeah, we've got plenty of room," said Ted.

"But it's your choice," Andromeda added quickly. Neville's Gran looked like she was about to say something, but the Headmistress was glaring at her.

"Well, I suppose it would save having to travel all the time…Yeah, if it's okay with Gran."

"I will respect the decision you have made, Neville. But I don't think it's the right one," his Gran replied looking at Professor McGonagall the whole time.

Neville had no idea how to respond to that statement but took it as a yes. "Umm…Okay then," he said to Ted and Andromeda. His Gran got up and stormed out of the room.

"I'll go and speak to her," Professor McGonagall added before heading out the door to follow after the enraged woman.

"I thought it was your night off?" Ted asked Tonks.

"Yeah, well. I went in to pick some stuff up when Nev decided to apparate into headquarters. Good thing I recognised him otherwise they would still be interrogating him now."

Her statement was followed by an uncomfortable silence.

A medi-wizard came in and it was arranged that Neville would be released the next day. Andromeda and Ted would come and pick him up in the morning.

Finally Ted turned to his daughter who had been sitting in the corner silently as all this was being discussed. "Well, I'm going to be having a nice dinner on my birthday. I'd love it if you could come. You can bring Remus as well," Ted replied. Andromeda turned away.

"Really?"

"Yeah. We miss you," he said giving her a hug.

Ted and Andromeda wished Neville farewell and headed off.

Professor McGonagall appeared again briefly, whisking Tonks out of the room to talk with her. Tonks reappeared looking much happier than she had been before and announced that she had to go.

Before she left Neville remembered one thing he had to ask her. "Why did you ask me if you were a werewolf before?"

She looked puzzled. "Oh… I thought everyone knew."

"No."

Tonks paused as if trying to decide exactly what to say. "Well, it happens to be that…I'm in a relationship with one…in fact you will probably know him. Remus Lupin. He's a teacher."

"Anyway, my replacement is here, goodbye," she added quickly

She waved and walked out of the room. The reason Tonks and her parents were not on good terms became clear to Neville.

---

Tonks was replaced by another Auror whom Neville got the impression was not happy to be guarding him. Soon after Tonks left, medi-wizards came to check on his leg. Apparently it was healing nicely, they had picked out the splinters and healed over the cuts while he was sleeping.

With the news Neville could walk on his leg, he managed to clamber out of his constricting bed sheets with the intention to solve the mystery surrounding his survival. Complete with a set of crutches the medi-wizards had left by his bed, he hobbled to the fourth floor, passing the ever-smiling former-Professor Lockhart. He pulled the curtain back to find his Gran sitting between his parents. Her eyes were red. She looked like she had been crying. She turned away from him. Neville knew she did not like to appear weak, especially in front of him.

"Are you alright?" he asked out of concern but knowing what she would say.

"Yes. I'm fine. It's nice to see you have bothered to pay your parents a visit." Neville did not like the intonation in her voice but he let it pass.

Neville pulled up a chair and sat down next to her. His father fidgeted, but quickly settled down. He found he could not look his Gran. Instead he stared his father lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. "I'm sorry for lying. I just want to work with plants over the summer."

"This is not about your herbology, Neville. This is about who you choose to associate with."

"I'm not… They didn't do this. It's unfair to blame people for stuff they couldn't stop," Neville mumbled, defending Andromeda and Ted.

"Really? She knew her sister. She most likely knew what she was capable of. Yet Mrs. Tonks failed to do anything about it. She's indirectly responsible Neville. Never forget that."

Neville did not know what to say to that. He had not thought of the situation that way. How do you not notice your sister is evil and crazy? "Minerva's right. You are old enough to make your own decisions. I just hope for your own sake you make the right ones," Gran added.

She got up. And moved to walk out when she stopped. "I'm going to Edinburgh tonight. I may be staying there for a while. You can access the family vault to buy anything you may need."

She walked out of the ward. Neville had expected his Gran to be angry and to try and stop him. He was prepared to deal with that. But he had rarely seen her so upset, not since his Grandfather had died.

Neville sat with his parents for a while. His father lay and his mother sat indifferent to his presence. He took a good luck at his mother, her black expression and empty eyes. It was hopeless he decided. Even if there was a small chance she could become better, what hope did he have of succeeding where the medi-wizards had not. They had training and experience, whereas he was not all that bright and did not have the slightest clue where to begin.

But as he sat there watching his parents, one thought ate at the back of his mind. Could Andromeda have prevented this?


	6. Home Again

**Chapter Six – Home Again**

**Author's Notes: **Thanks as always to my beta Nathaniel for reviewing and encouraging.

* * *

His doubts about his decision lingered, but Neville still waited patiently the next morning for Ted and Andromeda to arrive. As he waited he realised that he had a rather big problem; he no longer owned any pants. The ones he had been wearing had not survived the night, and all the others he owned probably had not survived the fire. This led him to realise that he most likely did not own anything anymore. Not even a toothbrush and even worse, no spare underwear.

Ted eventually arrived at ten ready to accompany Neville back to his home and told him it was alright, Neville could borrow some of his clothes and Andromeda always kept spare toothbrushes around the house. But in the end Neville had to floo to the Tonks' home wearing the now rather dishevelled shirt he had on during the attack and a striped pair of hospital pyjama pants. He did not want to think how ridiculous he must look.

Andromeda greeted them in the lounge and gave Neville a big hug. Ted explained the problem.

"Oh, don't worry. You can borrow Ted's clothes today and Ted can take you shopping for new clothes tomorrow."

"Yes, Ted can," replied Ted, rolling his eyes at being volunteered.

Andromeda leaned over and kissed Ted on the cheek. "I'll take the day off tomorrow and come too," she announced. "It will be fun. I haven't been to Diagon Alley in months…Now do you want to see where you will be sleeping?" she added turning her attention to Neville.

Neville followed Andromeda to the first floor of the cottage. He had never had a reason to see this part of the house, but found it to be the same as the rest, painted in nice neutral colours except for one room overlooking the greenhouse. That looked like someone had attacked the wall with pink, green and black paint. It was also covered with posters of music acts. Neville assumed it had once belonged to Tonks.

Andromeda arrived at a small dull room containing a bed, a chest of drawers and a wardrobe, but Neville's eyes were drawn to the large pile of mail and boxes sitting on the bed. "I'm sorry, it's rather boring. We don't have guests often …actually you may be the first, " she commented.

Neville, more interested in the mail than the room, inspected the first package, which was addressed to him in purple letters. "They've been arriving since yesterday. They're all for you," Andromeda announced. "Now, I'll leave you to settle in and read your mail. Oh, and there is an owl sitting in the kitchen that hasn't moved for a day. I think it's expecting a reply."

Neville spend the next hour inspecting his mail. The purple addressed package was apparently from the Auror Office and contained a pair of pants, a package containing three pairs of underwear and the message, _We though you may find this useful_. Neville suspected from the purple ink that Tonks had something to do with it, though he was rather embarrassed that people knew of his lack of possessions problem. There was also an individual card signed in purple ink wishing him well from Tonks and Remus. Tonks had obviously signed for her partner.

There was another large parcel containing an iced chocolate cake with 'get well soon' written on it from the Weasley family and a card signed by Ron's parents as well as Ginny. A letter from Hermione wishing him well and offering any assistance she could give him, and accompanied by a card signed by Ron and Harry who expressed their sentiments that they hoped he was okay and saying that apparating into the Ministry of Magic without a licence was really impressive. Fred and George send Neville a soft parcel containing a red shirt with _U-No-Poo Doesn't Scare Me_ on the front of it and _I survive and got this t-shirt from Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes_ on the back all written in yellow letters.

Seamus and Dean also sent cards both telling him how wicked it was that he battled werewolves and Dementors. There was another card signed by all the staff at Hogwarts, including for some reason Filch (who had also signed for Mrs. Norris), and accompanied by some chocolate brownies, that judging from the weight were some of Hagrid's creations that Ron had once told him about with the warning not to eat them. Surprisingly, there was also a card from Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour. Neville had only spoke to them a few times, mostly Bill telling him all about Egypt while in the hospital wing. Neville had decided that he was going to visit Egypt one day as result and Bill had given him a list of all the best bars to visit in Cairo.

There were a few cards from his various distant relatives and also a bundle of official looking letters. The Daily Prophet asked for an interview. Neville decided to think about it, but did not really want to. More ominously there was a letter from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Neville stomach sank as he read it. Apparently during his encounter with Dementors he had broken a number of laws, using magic while underage; apparating while underage; apparating without a licence; apparating into a Ministry building outside of hours. The letter eventually concluded that no charges would be laid against him due to the circumstances, but they would be rather appreciative if he could find a more legal method of escaping death next time.

There was also another letter from the Ministry announcing the Longbottom house was now cleared of any fire and had been ruled uninhabitable, though Neville was allowed to return so long as he did not enter the actual building.

Neville got changed into his new blue pants and his U-No-Poo shirt, and wandered down the stairs, chocolate cake and brownies in hand, and spotted Duck sitting on the counter, letter tied to his leg. Luna had replied to the letter he had written what seemed like a lifetime ago. The events that occurred before his brush with death flowed back to the forefront of his mind, accompanied by the guilt he had felt at his unsent letter about his parents.

Dear Neville 

_Of course it's Harry who will beat You-Know-Who but it's not fair that he has to do it alone. There will be someone out there who is going to help him. _

_Luna_

Neville didn't believe that in the end Harry would have help, some part of Neville had realised some time ago that in the end it would be just Harry that would have to save them all. This thought did not give him much comfort. After all Harry was his age and so Neville could appreciate in part the huge burden on Harry's shoulders. The future of all the people who had just written and sent cards, of all the people Neville knew and liked, everyone good and decent in the world now depended on Harry Potter, who was just a teenager like him. Neville agreed with Luna. It really did not seem fair at all.

Just then Andromeda walked in. "I thought I heard someone…," she stopped and Neville realised that she was reading Neville's shirt, she had an expression Neville couldn't figure out. "Really," she said with a tone of disgust in her voice. "That's not very funny." Neville realised she was rather upset but trying unsuccessfully to hide it.

It occurred to Neville then that many people, especially the parent of an Auror, would not find something mocking You-Know-Who to be very funny at all. Neville felt very uncomfortable all of a sudden. "It's … um …it's the only shirt I own."

"Well, you can borrow one of Ted's if you would like."

"Yeah." Neville decided that would probably mend the situation. Andromeda turned and started to walk out of the room, before suddenly stopping and turning back to him.

"Nymphadora didn't send you that shirt?" she enquired.

"No…but she did send me these pants."

"Good," she replied quietly before leaving in search for more appropriate clothing for Neville.

---

Ted decided to cook up a feast that night in honour of Neville arriving. He was actually quite an excellent cook, serving up a brilliant meal of spaghetti bolognaise and though Neville hadn't ever really had Italian food before, he found he loved it. That was followed by an extra large helping of Mrs. Weasley's chocolate cake and gigantic dollop of chocolate ice cream. There was one good thing about being attacked by Dementors and that was the excessive amounts of chocolate everybody let him eat.

"Is there anywhere in particular you want to go tomorrow?" Ted asked once Neville had finished eating and was feeling quite bloated.

"Well, um, I was wondering if I could visit my home."

Andromeda glanced anxiously at her husband and Ted's usual smile left his face. "Sure," he finally announced after some silence. He got up and paced towards the door of dining room. "Though I think you had better prepare yourself, Neville. It's not a pretty sight."

He left and returned with a folded copy of the Daily Prophet in his hand and gave it to Neville. _Longbottom Home Burns --- All occupants survive against the odds_ was the headline. Neville's hope that nobody would find out about his large proud home fizzled quickly. Neville noticed Andromeda and Ted were watching him nervously. He bent his head to see the rest of the article only to be greeted with a large picture of what had once been his home.

A few walls still stood at the back, but the whole front of his home had burnt down. There was a large pile of rubble and the nearby trees and grass had turned black. Where Neville's room had once stood, Neville could now see the sky behind the house.

He had really lost everything.

Ted leaned over and patted him on the arm. "Are you alright?" he asked calmly.

Neville had spent most of his life hating that house. But it was his home all the same, and now it was reduced to rubble. He didn't know what he was right then but he was certainly not okay. "Yeah," he muttered quietly.

The happiness of the food and company having suddenly evaporated, Neville wanted nothing more than to be alone. "I think I'm going to get some sleep," he said excusing himself from the table. Andromeda glanced at Ted as if willing him to do something, but Ted did nothing, which Neville appreciated. He really did not want to have to talk about it.

"We'll see you in the morning then."

---

Neville spent the night trying to contemplate what he would do. He no longer had a home. All his families history had been contained in that one house, so it was as if his past had been erased. It was a hollow empty feeling, and on top of it he had managed to isolate his Gran, who had always been there no matter what. Now Neville was truly alone for the first time in his life.

He stared up at the ceiling in his foreign room. The moon was no longer at its peak but provide enough light for Neville to stare at the objects surrounding him. He listened as Andromeda and Ted eventually walked past his door and into their room down the corridor.

What had he been thinking when he agreed to stay here? Neville had the distinct feeling he had made a big mistake. Realising that he could no longer undo the past, he decided to suck it up and continue. What would Gran say, he asked himself. She would say he had made his bed and now he had to lie in it. Neville now had to prevail.

Trying to think of something else his mind fell onto Luna's letter. He had sent her one back that afternoon telling her he was okay and instructing her that she cannot have Duck wait around for a response all the time, just in case Luna needed him. Though thinking about Luna's letter brought him back to his parents and the thought of his parents brought him back to the mystery of the woman's voice.

Suddenly Neville remembered something he had read in one of the letters he had been sent. Clambering out of bed, he tried to find a candle. Failing miserably he remembered that Ted and Andromeda's house was a Muggle one, you had to flick a switch. Fumbling around in the night he eventually managed to achieve light. Hoping he had not woken Ted and Andromeda up with the noise, he found the letter in question. It was from the Ministry about the status of his home. Scanning the letter he finally found what he wanted.

…_An Auror report on the investigation will be made public on the attack in a week. If you wish to see it, it will be viewable at the Ministry library…_

Neville knew that every time the Department of Magical Law Enforcement was involved in an incident a report was compiled. A gentleman from the Ministry had approached him for a statement for such a report last summer after the events in the Department of Mysteries. His Gran had told the gentleman to leave and that Dumbledore would tell him everything he wished to know, so Neville and the others did not contribute to the final report.

But this meant that there would be a report in the Ministry library what happened to his parents. If Neville were to ever figure out if his parents were still present somewhere then knowing exactly what happened to them was important, no matter how many awful details about what happened to them it contained.

Neville had never been to the Ministry library before, but he knew it was within walking distance of Diagon Alley, which meant he could go tomorrow.

Happy that he had a plan, Neville managed to finally drift off to sleep.

---

Neville felt very tired the next morning. All he had dreamt about last night was black cloaks surrounding him. He knew he was having a bad dream and would eventually manage to wake himself up. But as soon as he drifted off to sleep again, there they were, the Dementors.

Andromeda, who seemed to be a morning person, was already up and munching on some cereal while reading the paper.

"Morning," she called. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah," Neville replied nonchalantly, trying not to give her any reason to be concerned.

"Well, there's cereal in the cupboard, milk in the fridge. Or you could wait for Ted and have some of his bacon. He should be up within the hour," she said, not looking up from the paper.

Neville settled for cereal and read the sections of the paper Andromeda was finished with. No sign of anything to do with him. There was, however, an attack on some muggles in Kent. It seemed the Death Eaters, or some creatures allied with them were attacking someone every evening.

Ted eventually came down the stairs, and carefully made his breakfast while Andromeda complained that she and Neville (who was wearing another of Ted's shirts) had been ready to go for an hour. Ted complained to Neville that of all the women in the world, he had to marry the only one who could get ready on time. Neville smiled but stayed quiet, trying to avoid taking a side in the rather friendly argument they were having.

"I think we should visit Neville's home first. See if anything has survived the fire before we go buying things," Andromeda announced while Ted munched on his sandwich.

"Mmm hmm," Ted managed to say since his mouth was full of bacon.

"Is that alright with you?" She glanced at Neville.

"Sure."

---

Neville was forced to slide-along apparate to his home with Ted and Andromeda since he was still underage. Neither of them had ever been there and as a result they were forced to use the photo in the Prophet as a reference to avoid winding up apparating over a lake, or worse in the middle the Muggle motorway. There was one very close to Neville's home.

When they eventually got there, Neville realised that it looked so much worse in life than in the paper. Pieces of rubble, glass and brick were everywhere. The plants surrounding the house were singed black or burnt away altogether.

Ted and Andromeda stood back while Neville inspected the remains of Longbottom house. He had to tread carefully so as not to get bits of glass and brick in his shoes (that belonged to Ted and were three sizes too big). As he had seen in the photo, the whole front of the house had come down; the brick lying on the ground and the wood burn away.

The tallest part of the house that was still standing was the main fireplace. Gran's centrepiece remained standing stubbornly while the room she had tried so hard to keep clean had been reduced to ash.

There was nothing left of Neville's bedroom. The upper floors had disappeared completely into the rubble. Neville walked around the house to inspect his garden. It was now buried deeply under what was once his room. He had to acknowledge that his _Mimbulus_ had not survived and neither would have Trevor, who slept in his wardrobe during the night.

Neville spotted something red underneath some of the rubble close to him. He stared pulling up some of the bits concealing it, but some of it was too heavy. He was about to give up in frustration when some of the larger pieces began moving on their own. Neville turned to find Andromeda and Ted lifting up pieces and moving them away with levitating charms. Eventually Neville managed to free the remains of his Gryffindor scarf. One end was badly burned.

Neville realised that there was nothing else. Everything else was gone.

He stood there a while in silence clutching his scarf, and eventually found a hand on his shoulder. "I don't think we're going to find anything more, Nev." It was Ted. "I'm sorry."

"It wasn't your fault," Neville muttered.

Ted began to lead him away from the remains of his room, when Neville heard a familiar voice calling his voice.

"Master Neville! Master Neville!" Dusty was running towards him, carrying a bundle in her arms.

"Dusty!" Neville was relieved to have confirmation that a least one of the house-elves has survived the attack. "You're alright!"

"Dusty is well. So is Blinky. Blinky and Dusty got out, Sir."

"That's brilliant!"

"Dusty didn't know where you went, Sir, so Blinky and Dusty have been checking to see if you would return."

Neville suddenly heard a croak come from the bundle in Dusty's arms.

"Trevor?" Neville dared to wonder.

"Yes sir. Blinky took Trevor and Dusty took your special plant, Sir, before Dusty and Blinky left." The old house elf handed over the parcel, which turned out to be his _Mimbulus_ and his toad wrapped in an old red tablecloth, which Neville knew to have the Longbottom family crest embroidered in the centre of it.

Neville got down on his knees and hugged the small creature. "Thank you so much." Just when all hope had been lost, it was Blinky and Dusty, who were hardly ever noticed around the house, that saved the day. "Tell Blinky thank you from me as well."

"Is there anything Dusty and Blinky can do, Sir? Dusty could come and stay with you," Dusty suggested. Neville thought about it for a second. He would have to ask Andromeda and Ted's permission first. He looked over, both of them looked rather glum at the prospect. So Neville had a better idea.

"No. I want you to keep an eye on Gran for me. Make sure she doesn't get lonely and isn't unhappy and if she is, I want you to tell me. Alright?"

"Yes, Master Neville. Is that all?"

"Yes." At that Dusty clicked her fingers and was gone.

Neville found himself genuinely smiling for the first time in a while. "Brilliant little creatures they are. Well, I think we had better swing by our home before we head to London," Ted said.

"Why don't you want a house elf?" Neville asked, wondering if he might have found Hermione two new members of SPEW. She would be rather impressed if he had.

"Well, I actually quite enjoy cooking, and Andi would go nuts if she wasn't able to clean." Ted smiled while Andromeda glared at him and the three of them walked away from the rubble together.

"Besides, I think you've found a better use for them," Andromeda added.


	7. Lydia

**Chapter Seven - Lydia**

**Author's Notes: **Thanks to my beta Nathaniel

* * *

They returned briefly to Dominion Road to put Trevor and Neville's _Mimbulus _away, a toad and a plant that sprays sap when threatened not being the easiest thing to lug around the shops, and then it was off finally to Diagon Alley.

"We need to get you some new shoes first, then some clothes, so let's go to Madam Malkin's," Andromeda announced on arrival.

"Actually, can I go to Gringotts first?" Neville had gotten the impression the Andromeda and Ted had decided to pay for his clothes and he did not want that. Not when he had five years of pocket money saved up and Andromeda could not afford to hire anyone but him to work in her business.

Ted looked like he was going to protest, until Andromeda gave him a glare. Neville knew it was rude to talk about money. "Is there anywhere else you would like to go?" Andromeda asked.

"Um, I would like to go to the Ministry library."

"Why?" asked Ted.

Neville felt uncomfortable talking about his parents in front of Andromeda and Ted, so muttered that he wanted to look up some information for a charms assignment. Ted looked puzzled, but Andromeda seemed to have caught on. "Sure, Ted and I can walk you there and go off doing our own shopping for a few hours."

Diagon Alley was the quietest Neville had ever seen it. It was usually bustling with people doing their shopping, now there were only a few groups and nobody was walking the street by him or herself. Neville knew this to be in line with Ministry guidelines: never travel alone in popular places, never travel at night and if you see any suspicious activity, leave and get in contact with the authorities. These warnings were blasted over the Wizarding Wireless Network and in big advertisements in the _Daily Prophet_.

Neville saw the red robes of Aurors walking around watching people, though more commonly were the blue robes of hit-wizards standing at every corner. What shocked Neville was that some of them looked barely older than him. He even recognised a few faces from Hogwarts, people he had seen everyday in the dining hall, though nobody he knew well enough to have really spoken to and nobody from his year.

The security at Gringotts had been increased greatly. Goblins were watching, searching and questioning everybody in order for them to enter the premises. While he was waiting he saw Bill Weasley conversing with a particularly ugly looking goblin. Bill looked his way and spotted Neville and waived to him. Neville waived back while Bill made his way over.

He seemed to be in a lot better shape then the last time Neville saw of him in the hospital wing. He smiled and said hello, but that he could not talk since he was very busy at the moment, but wished Neville well from him and Fleur.

After an hour and a half of queuing, Neville managed to make a withdrawal from his Gringotts account. He went to meet Ted and Andromeda, who had given up waiting and had gone to have a look through Flourish and Blotts and they finally managed to get to Madam Malkin's, though by this time Neville was wishing he had eaten a bigger breakfast.

Madam Malkin seemed to be up to date with all the news and ran through a list of how many clothes Neville would need to reconstruct his wardrobe. Once being measured and prodded, Neville was soon outfitted with every possible type of clothing he needed: nice shoes, work shoes, socks, underwear, work clothes, casual wear, school uniform, dress robes and winter cloaks; all neatly folded and placed in bags.

When it finally came to pay Madam Malkin leaned over the counter. "That's fifteen percent off," she whispered in a low voice, "for giving us all a bit of hope." She smiled and winked and Neville, who was quite happy not to have to spend _all_ his savings on clothes.

It was a few hours into the afternoon before the three of them managed to sit down for lunch. Ted looked slightly miserable, which Andromeda mentioned to Neville was because he hated clothes shopping.

The Leaky Cauldron was just as empty as the rest of the Alley. Tom, the innkeeper, muttered to Ted that if it weren't the Death Eaters that got him, it would be the lack of business. After a rather large and very satisfying roast lunch, Andromeda announced that they could go to the library.

The journey to the library required a short walk through Muggle London. Muggles tended to mystify Neville. They seemed to carry on with their lives completely unaware of the peril they were facing. If the wizarding government fell then their way of life would not continue as it did, but judging from the large quantity of people on the streets they did not seem to sense that anything was wrong.

The library itself was down a small alleyway. Getting in required Ted to give five taps on a nearby drain with a wand, then the grotty bricks moved away to reveal a small elevator. By the buttons was a notice board showing the floor plan. The lobby and helpdesk were located on the ground floor, with the floors above in labelled 'history,' 'theory,' 'public records,' and finally, on the top floor 'dark arts.'

"You'll want the second floor," Ted said, trying to be helpful.

"We'll meet you back in two hours," Andromeda said, nudging her husband out of the elevator.

"What…?" Neville heard Ted ask Andromeda before the doors closed on him.

Pressing the button for the fourth floor, the elevator jerked into life and did not quite make it the whole way there. Neville was forced step up to get out onto the floor.

An ancient-looking lady who was manning the desk looked up at Neville. She peered up from the paper and glanced at him with a look of annoyance which made Neville feel incredibly small. "Can I help you?"

"Uh…yeah…I'm looking for an Auror report on an…um…incident," Neville muttered.

"Date?" she asked with a sigh, getting up from her seat.

"What?"

The woman sighed again, obviously annoyed with Neville's lack of knowledge about proper procedure. "Those records are kept in that room behind the desk," she pointed to a room a few meters away. "I need to know the date this 'incident' occurred or I'll never find it."

"Er…the twentieth of December 1981."

"Name of parties involved." Neville wondered if this woman was by any chance related to Madam Pince for she was just as lovely as the Hogwarts librarian.

"Frank and Alice Longbottom."

The lady reached under the table and handed Neville a piece of parchment and a quill. "Sign here." Neville looked at her about to ask why. "It's a release," she announced before walking slowly towards the room behind the counter.

Neville quickly signed the form, which asked for his name and address. Instinctively he signed his old address. He was about to scribble it out before deciding against it. He did not particularly want to tell a stranger where he was living and left it as it was.

Looking around Neville saw filing cabinet upon filing cabinet all, he supposed, full of parchment. All of them painted a vivid red in contrast to the black and white square patterned floor and white painted walls. The ceiling-touching cabinets provided the only colour in the room. There were a few chairs and desks located on the floor, but there was only one other person present, a middle-aged woman with long straight blond hair, which was growing brown at the roots and wearing a most putrid shade of purple robes. Neville noticed that she had nothing in front of her that she was reading, she was just looking up now and again to watch him.

Neville felt really uncomfortable and stood there for a while waiting in silence, wishing the librarian would hurry up. After what seemed to Neville to be an eternity, she returned, not carrying anything.

"That report's not public," she announced.

"What?" Neville asked. "I thought all reports were supposed to be public."

"No, the Ministry can withhold them if they want to," she looked at him as if he was making a fuss over nothing.

"But I really want to see that report…It's important." Neville really didn't think that was going to help. He did notice the blonde woman had gotten up and started to walk towards him.

"Look Mr…," The librarian looked at the piece of parchment and a familiar look spread across her face as she remembered where she knew that name from and why the Longbottoms had been in the news and suddenly felt very sorry for Neville. This merely served to make Neville more annoyed at her. "Look," she said again, this time sympathetically, "I can't do anything."

"But I can," the blonde woman announced behind him. She handed an orange piece of card to Neville as the librarian turned away in disgust. "My name's Lydia Jenkins and getting my hands on documents that the Ministry wants hid away is my speciality."

She held out her hand and Neville shook it. "Come to my office," she said as she placed a hand on Neville's shoulder and lead him towards a small room off the side of the gigantic filing cabinets.

It was not much of an office. Neville suspected it was not an office at all, but somewhere designed for quiet study. The blonde woman placed a suitcase. "So you want the Ministry report of the tragic series of events that occurred that night involving your parents." The complete lack of sympathy in her voice strangely served to endear her to Neville. "Which you have a right, as their son and next of kin, to know."

"Yes," Neville agreed quietly, not quite sure of what to make of the woman.

"Well, that's why I'm here. I'll help you. For a small fee of course."

Neville had a bad feeling as soon as she said this decided to decline. "Um, no thanks. That's not for me."

"Really. Many people have tried to get information out of the Ministry and few have ever succeeded. They'll stonewall you. They'll make you sign two million forms. They'll refer you from department to department and you will get lost in the bureaucracy. And then finally," she had been getting louder and louder during this hyperbole of a speech, "when you are on your deathbed they will send you a letter telling you they will release the information to you in a month!"

"Do you really want that to happen to you, Mr. Longbottom?" she added quietly.

"No," Neville replied, he really did want the information relatively quickly.

"Well then, as I said, I can help."

Maybe she could Neville decided. "So what do you do?" he enquired.

"Well, I hit up contacts, use statutes, use up my favours until I get the information. I'll send you progress reports and – and here's the best bit – if I don't get you the information you won't have to pay me," she said. "Well, apart from the deposit…that's not refundable," she added quietly.

"So, what's your decision to be, Mr Longbottom?"

"Er…," she was staring at him eagerly. Neville supposed that if he didn't have to pay him if she didn't succeed it could not that bad. "Okay," he replied.

"Excellent!" She pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill from her suitcase, handing them to Neville. "Sign here, here and here."

Neville suddenly realised he was in trouble; he didn't know what he was signing. "Er…um… wait." A sudden look of disappointment crossed Lydia Jenkin's face, but Neville noticed she quickly hid it. "How much will this cost me?"

"Well, the deposit is twenty galleons. Usually I charge three galleons a day after that, plus expenses. But," she gave Neville a long look and looked to be considering something, "considering your current housing situation, Mr Longbottom, I will lower it to just one galleon a day…Just for you mind, tell others and I'll be out of business." She gave him a small but seemingly forced smile. Neville was starting to wonder if there was anyone left in the Wizarding world who did not know his home had burnt down.

Neville thought about the decision quickly. He did have enough money to pay her the deposit in his pocket, and he did really want to see the report. Making up his mind he picked up the quill and signed.

"Excellent!" Lydia snatched up the piece of parchment from under the quill and stuffed it into her briefcase and stood up. "Good doing business with you, Mr Longbottom." They shook hands and Neville handed over the twenty galleons that were sitting in his pocket. "You can expect the first report in a week."

"Okay…Umm. Thank you."

Neville left the small reading room and the odd woman inside it, and spent the rest of his time looking through the shelves in the theory section of the library before Ted and Andromeda returned.

---

The next two weeks past with few surprises. Neville and Andromeda got back to work in the greenhouse the very next day and Ted went back to his garage and inventions.

Neville was soon beginning to learn the idiosyncrasies of the Tonks family. Andromeda had to have everything just so. She seemed to get very uncomfortable when Neville sorted things in the wrong places. Oddly, she did not seem to mind when he dropped the occasional plate. She was rather accommodating of his clumsiness, stating that he was just like Nymphadora in that aspect.

Neville did not see head or tails of Tonks. She did not seem to ever visit her parent's home. Andromeda also seemed to be reluctant to discuss her daughter's current activities, though both she and Ted kept very up to date with the event in the war through the wireless network.

Despite her absence, Neville felt the presence of Tonks throughout the house, especially in the lounge where there was a rather large photo of her sitting above the fireplace. Like every wizard photo she moved, however this one was different, some days her hair colour would change, others she would have different eyes, one day she was even an old woman for a while. After that Neville decided to ask Ted about it. Ted was always willing to explain things to Neville, from the Muggle objects lying around the cottage to yet another one of Andromeda's cleaning methods.

"Well that's one of my inventions," Ted explained. "In fact that was my first. See the picture changes when she changes, so we always know what she looks like…you see when Dora was a kid; she would change herself into all sorts of people. Andromeda and I had real trouble trying to keep up and we had to be especially careful when she was in public. We could easily lose her in a big crowd, especially when she wanted to be lost."

Neville had begun to understand from the time Ted talked about her that Tonks was especially adept at human transfiguration, as shown by her pink hair, but he had never heard of child doing it. "How does she change?"

"Oh, she hasn't explained it to you?"

"No." Neville was getting slightly fed up of everyone thinking he should know things.

"Well, our Dora is the only known Metamorphmagus in Europe," Ted started, pride in his voice. "She can change her form at will, anything about herself and has been able to since she was a baby."

Neville had heard of such powers. There were stories about a fifteenth century spy who could change his form a will and get information from anyone and became very rich and powerful as a result. Neville also knew that such powers were rumoured to be dark. A very intelligent young witch supposedly foiled the fifteenth century spy, tricked him in some way Neville could not remember.

One thing Neville was beginning to notice was that despite all appearances, the Tonks family was far from normal. Not that he minded. He was enjoying the busyness and cheerfulness of the Tonks household.

---

Neville found he still had quite a bit of correspondence. Luna was still writing every day though they had stopped talking about Harry and started talking about everyday things. Luna liked explaining the process of making a magazine to Neville, and the activities that occurred in Diagon Alley. Neville regretted that he should have visited her when he went shopping. He did not think he would have another opportunity before the school term began.

Neville would write back to her about the plants he was working with. Luna seemed to be quite interested in what the greenhouse contained and kept on asking if Andromeda happened to keep various species of plants that Neville did not think really existed. Neville would nicely reply that no, Andromeda did not have that species, and spend the rest of the letter explaining the progress he had made with the _Mimbulus_, or the large order he and Andromeda had spent all day trying to get off to the Ministry or St. Mungo's.

Luna had not heeded Neville's warnings about Duck. Her owl would still wait for Neville to write a letter back before leaving. Though some progress had been made. After many evil looks from Andromeda, who thought having an owl in the kitchen was unhygienic, and encouragement from Neville, Duck had decided to stay in Neville's room as opposed to the kitchen.

Lydia sent her first report in a week like she had promised. Apparently she was having difficulty getting a reason as to why the report was embargoed, though she suspected it was to protect the reputation of a current Ministry employee. She explained once she found out who it was she could make some progress and in the mean time she was tracking down who had signed the order to embargo the information in the first place.

Neville began to feel more confident in his decision to hire her, believing that he could probably never get that done alone. He would not know where to start.

As the summer days became longer and hotter with the sun often shining through the mist and causing a muggy heat, Neville realised that he was reasonably content with his life at the moment. While his house was in rubble, he now had the old tablecloth on his wall to remind him of his past. Yes, there was a war going on, but attacks seemed to be quieting down. And while many were saying that it was the calm before the storm, it seemed like the irrepressible heat was bringing a semi-balance of peacefulness to Britain.

But then one night, when Ted was busy in the kitchen baking himself a large cake for his birthday the next day (Andromeda, as it turned out, was an awful cook and banned by Ted from baking), an owl came flying down the chimney in the lounge where Andromeda and Neville were quietly reading.

Picking it up the note, Andromeda announced that she would need Neville's help. St Mungo's was desperately in need of Asphodel. They slaved through the night, Ted occasionally helping out, but he himself heading towards bed while Neville and Andromeda continued into the early hours of the morning.

"I think we've earned a well-deserved sleep in this morning," Andromeda announced as they sent the last parcel away.

It seemed like Neville's head had barely just hit the pillow when the sun began to shine through the windows of his room. Turning over to go back to sleep he heard Ted walking down the hallway at a quick pace.

"Andi!" he called urgently, as he hurried past Neville's room. "Andi, it's on the wireless!" He seemed to be quite panicked. "There's been an attack in Hogsmeade and…and I think Dora was on duty last night."


	8. Blue Lady

**Chapter Eight – Blue Lady**

**Author's Notes: **Thank you very much to Nathaniel for betaing.

* * *

Neville jumped out of bed immediately and headed for the door. As he opened it he saw Ted and Andromeda rush past. Andromeda was struggling to cover her nightdress with a dressing gown as she headed down the stairs, her hair flying in all directions.

"How many were injured?" Andromeda was asking Ted breathlessly.

"I don't know. They didn't say," he replied distraughtly.

"How many were killed?"

"They didn't say."

Neville followed, wanting to see if Tonks was okay. They all headed into the lounge where the radio was playing a tune Neville recognised as belonging to the Weird Sisters. Ted and Andromeda stood before it. Ted looked incredibly tired. His usual dependable smile had disappeared, making him seem much older. All the blood had drained from Andromeda's face. She shook slightly as she stood there waiting for the news announcer to come back on while a happy tune played in the background. Ted held on to her, arm around her shoulders.

Finally, Andromeda spoke, her voice shaky. "This isn't doing any bloody good. I'm going to St Mungo's."

"Right now?" Ted asked weakly. Andromeda looked in no state to leave the house.

"Yes now!" She grabbed a handful of powder, pointed her wand at the fireplace igniting it with a roar. She threw the powder onto the lapping flames and walked into the fireplace.

"Hold the fort please, Neville," Ted said as he followed his wife.

Neville remained standing in the lounge, the happy tune on the radio was now drawing to an end. Not knowing what to do he decided to make breakfast.

Aurors were dying every day. It was war and they were doing the brunt of the fighting and protecting. Neville knew many were killed, his parents had paid a high price, but it had never been so close to home. He had not remembered his parents wearing their uniforms; he only saw them as Aurors in pictures. But Tonks, he knew her. He had seen her work. He knew the people she cared about and the people that cared about her. All the Aurors who had appeared in the Daily Prophet, the ones that were being awarded their Orders of Merlin posthumously, they all had people that knew them and that cared about them, Neville realised.

Neville just wished _he_ had cared more about them. Maybe Tonks' life being in question was some sort of revenge because he had read over their deaths with relief in his heart that it was someone else. Not someone he knew.

As Neville prized bacon pieces apart and laid them on a baking tray he wished that he had mourned for each and every one of them to spare the life of one young woman.

---

Some minutes later the radio news came on again.

"_In breaking news, You-Know-Who's forces have attacked homes on southern side of Hogsmeade village. Reports are emerging that Aurors arrived on the scene before widespread loss of life could occur though they sustained casualties and two are confirmed dead at the scene. It is not known how many casualties You-Know-Who's forced have sustained… Meanwhile in Shropshire, another attack has occurred on a Muggleborn's family…"_

Neville switched it off. He did not want to hear anymore. Three plates were now set with eggs and bacon on them. It was the first time Neville had made scrambled eggs by himself, but that did not occur to him as he stared at the fireplace.

Soon he heard a rustle and a poof and Ted emerged from the fireplace, slightly sooty and with a grim expression on his face. Andromeda walked out from behind him.

"She was involved but she's fine." Ted attempted to smile as he said this, but the air of misery never left his face. Neville felt his hopes lift. He strained his neck to look behind Andromeda to see if Tonks had come with them.

"Nymphadora's debriefing at Auror headquarters. It's all routine," Andromeda said quietly as she wandered like a spectre towards the door leading towards the dining room, never looking a Neville. "Oh, you made breakfast. Thank you, Neville," she said in much the same manor.

Ted walked past Neville, looking glum. "Thanks, Neville."

They all sat down in quietly, the only sound was knives and forks scraping over the plate. Neville wanted to say something, anything to end the silence, but couldn't really think of anything.

Finally Ted leaned back against his chair, and announced with a sigh, "Well, this is one brilliant birthday."

---

Andromeda did not seem to rest for anyone. No sooner than breakfast had finished, then she was dressed and in her greenhouse.

"Look at this mess," she said to Neville, who had joined her. "I think its time for a big clean up." She grabbed a nearby potted Mandrake and begun to move it out of the way and proceeded on a one woman cleaning spree, moving cleaning and replacing with incredible speed. Neville tried his best to keep up, and came very close to breaking a number of pots because he was so flustered.

But Andromeda continued to clean and clean; even parts of the greenhouse Neville thought were already spotless and by Andromeda's standards too, not just his. Finally, while moving pots from one workbench to another, Neville tripped. The pot containing a number of belladonna seedlings went flying, and smashed all over a section of floor Andromeda had already cleaned.

Neville rushed over the clean up the soil, not being very effective since he could not use cleaning spells like Andromeda. "No, no, Neville. Leave it to me," Andromeda announced as she pushed him out of the way. She crouched down on the floor and started grabbing up the shards of ceramic.

And then she just stopped.

Andromeda let out a sob. Neville could see her chest heaving up and down. Andromeda was crying and he did not know what to do.

"Are you alright?" he asked pathetically.

Andromeda didn't make any indication back. Neville crouched down next to her. Tears were streaming from her eyes, and she was biting her lip, trying to prevent her self from making any noise.

Neville did not know what to do, but he knew someone who did. "I'm going to go get Ted," he said, placing an uncomfortable hand on her shoulder in a gesture of comfort.

Neville pulled himself up and ran out of the greenhouse. Kicking his wellingtons off he ran through the house, finding Ted in the garage, leaning against a workbench and staring into nothing.

"Andromeda…" Neville panted, "Andromeda…is…upset."

Ted snapped out of his trance and looked at Neville. His eyes were red.

"Where?"

"Greenhouse."

Neville followed Ted as far as the back door, and watched from the door way as Ted found his wife still on the floor, scooped her up and engulfed her in a hug.

---

Things remained subdued around the Tonks household after Ted and Andromeda emerged from the greenhouse. Ted went back to working in his garage and later went to work in the kitchen on his birthday meal while Andromeda sat at the kitchen table writing letters.

Neville raided Andromeda's collection of herbology books, finding that he had read most of them all ready and so contented himself with reading _Most Potent Potions_ to see what potions all the plants he spend so much time tending were used in. Neville was not a great fan of potions, especially since Professor Snape had spent five years terrorising him (and then a further year in Defence against the Dark Arts). Neville would spend so much time worrying about what awful things Snape would do should Neville make a mistake that Neville forgot to concentrate on the task at hand and inevitably add the wrong ingredient or break something and Snape would terrorise him some more. But just reading a book about potions did not bother Neville too much; so long as Snape did not show up on the Tonks' doorstep he was fine.

Just then the doorbell rang, and Neville's stomach lurched. Surely not, Death Eaters did not just ring the doorbell when the showed up. Neville now knew this as a certainty.

Ted and Andromeda rushed down the corridor, and Neville got up to look who it was out of curiosity.

"Wotcher," came Tonk's voice from the doorway.

"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Tonks," a familiar man's voice spoke. Professor Lupin was there too.

Neville wandered over to the doorway, keeping a distance so not to intrude on a family moment. Tonks was engulfed in a hug from her mother, Neville noticed her hair was currently navy blue, but that was all he could make of her. Andromeda stood back, he gaze on Professor Lupin, who was rather thin and worn out and looking sheepishly back at Andromeda.

Ted stood back. "I'm glad you made it."

"It takes more than a Death Eater attack to keep me away from my Dad's birthday," Tonks joked weakly. Neville got a good glimpse of her; she looked very pale and very tired. There was a rather large bruise on the left side of her face, from the cheek to her jaw.

"Wotcher Neville," Tonks called over her fathers shoulder.

"Hello Neville," Professor Lupin said as well, noticing Neville standing there.

"Come in, dinner should be ready soon." Ted herded his daughter and her friend into the lounge and headed back to the kitchen. Andromeda followed him, intending to help out, leaving Neville alone with the odd couple.

"How are you Neville?" Professor Lupin asked.

"I'm fine," Neville replied. The last time Neville had really talked to Professor Lupin was before Neville had found out he was a werewolf. Now having had first hand experience with werewolves and knowing that Professor Lupin had been lurking around the grounds in that state made him look at the man differently. Underneath his calm demeanour was a beast that could, and would, kill.

Tonks had grabbed the potions book Neville had been reading off the coffee table and was flicking through it with her good arm, seemingly oblivious to the world. Lupin kept on glancing at her worriedly.

"And how's your Gran?" Professor Lupin enquired again.

"She's okay," Neville replied again, the last report he had received from Blinky was that she was going out a lot, keeping herself busy, but she thought Professor McGonagall's summer home was a bit on the small side.

Professor Lupin shifted around uncomfortably. Neville realised that he must know what Neville was thinking about him. And between him, Tonks who was acting unusually and Andromeda who seemed to dislike him, it was very brave for the Professor to be there. Neville decided it would not really hurt to talk to him.

"Will you be teaching at Hogwarts again this year, Professor?" Neville asked, wondering whether he would like the answer if it were yes.

"I'm not a Professor anymore, Neville, you can call me Remus, and it's no," Lupin replied.

"The Ministry won't allow him to," Tonks volunteered from her book. She was flicking through it too fast to be reading it, and once she finished, she would just start again at the first page.

"Well, you've been one of the best we've ever had," Neville said truthfully. Werewolf aside, he was a good teacher. Better then Umbridge, Lockheart and Quirrell for sure.

"Thank you," Lupin replied.

"That doesn't matter to them," Tonks added bitterly.

The room fell silent again, Lupin still looking uncomfortable. "Did those jeans I bought you fit?" Tonks finally asked.

"What?" Neville asked, wondering what on earth 'jeans' were.

"Blue trousers? Because I can always transfigure them to a different size if you want?"

Neville remembered the package she had sent him. "Yeah, they fit well."

"Great," Tonks replied, making a rather forced looking smile. Tonks suddenly got to her feet and headed for the kitchen. "I wonder if they need any help," she said as an explanation for her behaviour.

Lupin got up to his feet, obviously wondering whether to follow her or not and sat back down deciding against it.

"Tonks is just a bit upset at the moment," Lupin volunteered.

Ted popped in from the kitchen. "Dinner's ready."

Andromeda and Tonks were already sitting at the table not saying a word to each other. It amazed Neville that Andromeda, who had rushed to St. Mungo's that morning and had spent the morning crying over the daughter she so obviously loved dearly, was not talking to her. It seemed absurd. But Tonks was not making much of an effort at communication either.

Ted piled slices of lasagne and salad onto their plates and dinner was spent in relative silence.

"Will you be working?" Andromeda asked, breaking the silence.

"No…They've given me a week off," Tonks replied, not looking above her food. "And my good wands broken so I'm practically useless anyway."

The silence continued.

"So…Remus, what are you up to these days?" Ted enquired. Andromeda glanced at Ted.

"Oh, doing odd jobs around the place," Lupin replied. "How is the charms business going?"

"Well, haven't made a breakthrough on anything lately. To be honest, it's more like a hobby these days then…"

Ted paused half way through his sentence to a clang coming from Tonks, she had dropped her fork, she hung her head much like Neville had seen her mother do earlier that day.

"I'm sorry…," she whispered amongst sobs. "I'm sorry…I just…it's just."

Lupin, Ted and Andromeda were all on their feet, but Lupin got there sooner, and wrapped his arms around Tonks.

"Come on," Neville heard him whisper. "Is there anywhere private we can go?" he asked Ted.

"Yes. Dora's room," Ted replied look of deep concern on his face. Andromeda glanced at him again but didn't say a word.

Ted and Andromeda stood by as Lupin ushered Tonks out of the room and towards the staircase. Silence continued. Neville wondered whether he should go to his room, but that would mean passing by Tonks and Lupin who clearly needed time alone.

"I know what you think, Andromeda, but I just don't care anymore," Ted suddenly announced.

"It's not that simple," Andromeda replied.

"Of course it's that bloody simple! She's your daughter. You love her." Anger lined Ted's voice. "I want to spend time with my daughter, Andi, and if you will have to just get over who she chooses to love."

"So I'm just supposed to sit back and watch as my daughter throws her life away? Is that what you want Ted?" Andromeda raised her voice in reply.

"Yes! Yes, that's what I want. If you think she's throwing her life away then I want you to not only stand back and watch, but to support her in doing it, because I love you, and I love her, and I don't want to choose, but if it means spending one more moment with my daughter before… before something truly awful happens to her, then, then so help me, Andromeda, you don't want me to choose!" Ted walked out of the room and shut the door behind him.

Andromeda stared at his back while he did so.

"Are you alright?" Neville asked, quite in shock at what he had just witnessed.

"I have to go," she said and walked out, following her husband.

Neville sat at the table alone and finished his meal. He begun to tidy up, making sure not to throw out the food that had tasted wonderful. As he did so, he noticed the cake Ted had made for himself the day before remained untouched on the kitchen bench.

Just when he was finishing, Lupin appeared in the kitchen. "Hello Neville…I was just looking for Andromeda and Ted. Do you know where they are?"

"They had a fight and left shortly after you did. I'm not sure where they've gone." Neville felt no reason not to tell Lupin the truth.

"Oh…well, I think that Tonks is going to be fine for the moment. She's currently asleep."

"What happened?" Neville asked. She must have been through an awful ordeal to just break down like that, in the middle of dinner.

"Tonks witnessed two of her colleagues being murdered in front of her, Neville. It's not an easy thing to live with," Lupin said sadly.

"That's horrible," Neville replied. Neville had witnessed his Grandfather die; it was not a memory he liked to drag up. But that expression of pain on his Grandfather's face as he struggled for air with useless lungs was present in Neville's mind.

"It is," Lupin replied quietly. He looked as if he himself was remembering a similar tragic scene Then Neville remembered Sirius Black falling through the curtain. Professor Lupin witnessed that. He was there holding Harry back. That meant that Professor Lupin was fighting You-Know-Who in some way, like Sirius Black had been. Tonks was there too, and Bill Weasley. No, Neville remembered, Bill Weasley was only there the night Dumbledore died, but they were all working together against You-Know-Who.

Neville started to view Professor Lupin differently. Despite being a werewolf, he was fighting You-Know-Who just like the Aurors were.

"I want to help." The words fell out of Neville's mouth before he had much of a chance to really think about what he was asking. He did want to help. This war was destroying everything it touched, whether it was killing people, or ruining their lives, like his and Harry's or destroying homes like his own, or destroying families, like the Tonks'. Neville was not willing to wait until he was of age anymore. "I want to help like my parents did in the last war," he continued.

Lupin looked at him, a look of concern crossed his face, he seemed to be contemplating Neville's question. "I think…I think that at the moment, we could use you just here." Neville's heart sunk. Professor Lupin had probably remembered that Neville was clumsy and hopeless.

"I have to go away tomorrow," Professor Lupin continued, "and I don't want to leave Tonks alone. I would like you to keep an eye on her."

Neville couldn't believe that Professor Lupin was just leaving his partner in such as state. "What could be more important than you looking after Tonks?" Neville asked, quite annoyed.

The Professor looked as if he was considering something. "Well, Neville," he replied calmly, "I'm taking Harry to visit his parents grave. He's never been before, and we've been planning it for some time. There are security concerns so we cannot just move around the date. I assure you, Tonks knows why, and she agrees I should go.

Neville had never realised that Harry had never seen his parents' graves. "But what am I supposed to do if she, er, starts crying again. I'm not very good with upset people." Neville said, remembering Andromeda in the Greenhouse.

"I have it on very high authority from Fleur Delacour that you happen to be very good with getting people back to normal. Just do what you did with Bill."

"I just talked to Bill about Egypt."

"Well, then ask Tonks about something close to her," Lupin suddenly smiled as he seemed to have just thought of something brilliant. "Better yet," he added, "get her to teach you some defensive spells. She'll enjoy that."

Neville was not so sure, but agreed to it reluctantly. Lupin thanked him and headed back up to check on Tonks.

Neville headed to his own room, and begun another letter to Luna. He told her everything, about how he thought this morning that Tonks might have been killed, and how two Aurors had been. About how Andromeda had flooed to St Mungo's while still wearing her nightdress, and now how Ted and Andromeda had fought and Neville did not think that they would be alright. About Tonks crying over dinner and Neville meeting a werewolf and not being too afraid.

Neville did not care that he and Luna were avoiding talking about the war with each other. The simple truth to Neville was that the war could not be ignored. It was there, and even the dreamers like Luna could not deny it anymore.


	9. She Will Have Her Way

**Chapter Nine – She Will Have Her Way**

**Author's Notes: **A very big thanks to Nathan for betaing.

---

Neville got up the next morning for work as usual, not knowing what the situation was going to be after the events of the night before. Though, as always, work would have to be done in the greenhouse. The door to Tonks' room was closed, which meant she was probably still in there, and maybe Professor Lupin if he had not left already.

Andromeda was sitting at the table reading the Prophet. Engrossed by its contents she didn't seem to notice when Neville sat down with some cereal. The cover story was that two Death Eaters had been captured the day before. Harry, Hermione and Ron had all told him though that all the supposed Death Eaters the Ministry had captured so far were just petty thieves or innocent people.

Eventually, Andromeda finished the article and noticed Neville.

"There's not much work to do today, no orders," she said. She looked rather strained, and Neville wondered whether she and Ted had managed to patch things up the night before. "Thank you for cleaning up last night," she added. "I know things got very messy."

"It was no problem," Neville replied as Andromeda got up and headed for the kitchen to put her own bowl away.

Grabbing the Prophet from where Andromeda had left it, Neville found out that actual Death Eaters had been caught, Warren McNair and Amycus Carrow. There were photos of the two tied up and sitting in a room that the caption revealed to be the Wizengamot.

Neville was horrified when he read on. The Death Eaters were caught during the attack on Hogsmeade when more Aurors arrived from London to help in the fight. The story was filled with quotes from Ministry officials of how this was a great success, and that the Ministry's plan was now coming into fruition. Neville did not think that the two lives lost that night and the numerous injuries and the countless deaths of the past year by Aurors were worth the capture of only two Death Eaters.

Towards the end, the Prophet finally mentioned the Aurors that had been stationed at Hogsmeade.

_Rutherford Scott and Marius Savage were killed in the attack, both are being considered for post-humous awarding of the Order of Merlin. Seth Proudfoot, Angelina Johnson, Richard Dawlish and Nymphadora Tonks were all injured in the fray, they will be returning to active duty as soon as possible._

"Can I read that after you?" Tonks asked from behind him, tiredness lining her voice. Neville handed over the paper; she after all had more of a right to read it since it was about her.

Neville continued to eat his breakfast while Tonks read the article quietly. She had not changed from the night before, bruises still on her pale face and hair still dark blue. Andromeda eventually walked in.

"Where's Remus?" she asked after looking around.

"Gone," Tonks replied nonchalantly, not bothering to look up from the paper.

"Where?" Andromeda seemed concerned.

Tonks continued to read the paper. "He has work to do. And I don't see why you particularly care."

"Well, I do. I will not see you settle for a man that leaves when you need him," Andromeda replied, curtly.

"Well, this was more important," Tonks replied, finally looking up from the paper.

"What could possibly be more important than you?"

"Harry Potter," Tonks replied, with a look in her eyes that she was challenging her mother to dare say that the war was not important.

Andromeda went quiet. Neville had never discussed Harry and he had not heard Andromeda and Ted discuss him either. He wondered whether or not they believed that Harry was the chosen one. Neville certainly did, he had seen the prophecy with his own two eyes, though he had no idea what was contained in it.

"I can't reason with you, can I?" Andromeda said suddenly, her voice calm. "You'll keep doing this, going out and fighting, risking your life. You just don't understand what this is doing to your father and me…What you are doing to yourself. You were a different person two years ago. I miss my daughter"

"And I miss my mother!" Tonks replied angrily. Neville wanted to leave before another fight, but he remained frozen to his chair, afraid of what the two women would do should they notice him. "You used to say I could do anything, that I could be anything that I wanted. But as soon as I decided to become an Auror, you've been determined to stop it. And then I fell in love, and suddenly all that stuff you told me about all people being equal is all rubbish"

"I meant Muggles. If you had fallen in love with a Muggle I would not have cared. But Remus is diseased! And I…" Andromeda yelled at her daughter.

"I don't care!" Tonks interrupted.

"…I knew this would happen and that's why I didn't want you to become an Auror! I didn't want to see my happy, brilliant daughter be reduced to a cynical shell! This didn't have to be your fight!"

"It was always my fight! The day I was born this was my fight! The day I met my Aunt this was my fight! If I was some shop assistant or a healer do you honestly think I would survive this war? That I wouldn't be a target! They know what I'm capable of and I can't escape it, but I can fight it!"

Andromeda stood there looking as if she was about to yell right back. And then suddenly, she sat down. "You're right," she said quietly. Andromeda seemed to be shaking and Neville noticed Tonks' expression changed from one of rage to one of concern. "Though it was not supposed to be this way," Andromeda said quietly.

Tonks got up and moved towards her mother. "It was going to be better for you," Andromeda continued tears now flowing. "Your father and I, we worked so hard to give you something better than what we had…I didn't want this."

Neville watched as Tonks placed a hand on her mothers shoulder. "I don't want this either, Mum," she said quietly, and she wrapped her arms around her mother's neck.

Realising that he was now intruding on a private moment, Neville got up and managed to slip out of the room silently. He found Ted leaning against the wall in the kitchen, probably having listened to the whole argument.

"I think we have progress," said Ted quietly.

---

Andromeda showed up in the Greenhouse an hour after Neville had started work.

"There's a letter for you," she placed a piece of white folded card into Neville's hand. When he opened it another piece of paper fell out. The first was a wedding invitation, the words etched in gold onto a card that smelt like roses. Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour had invited him. It was to be held on the first day of August at the Weasley family home.

Picking the second letter off the ground, he recognised Hermione's rushed handwriting.

_Dear Neville._

_It's going to be Harry's birthday soon and to cheer him up Ron and I are throwing him a small party. It would be great if you could come. Arrive on the 30th July at Ron's home. You can stay over for a few days and come to the wedding as well. _

_Love_

_Hermione _

"…and Ron" was scribbled on the end in another set of handwriting. Neville was a bit disappointed that Hermione had seemed to have forgotten that his birthday was on the thirtieth, the day before Harry's.

"What is it?" Andromeda called up from the Whomping Willows, she seemed to be in a better mood now that she and her daughter had reconciled somewhat.

"I've been invited to a wedding and a birthday party," Neville replied. "Do you mind if I go?" he asked.

"When?" Andromeda started to walk over.

"The thirtieth of July till the second of August."

"Well, you do know that you are free to come and go as you choose from living here, and I think I can survive without you for three days."

"Great," Neville replied, ecstatic that he would get to see and catch up with his friends.

---

Tonks had not left when lunch came round. Instead she seemed to have taken over the dining table with the small collection of books that Andromeda and Ted owned about potions making. She was reading through the pages and writing notes with a quill and a piece of parchment.

On Ted's instructions, Neville brought Tonks some sandwiches, and he sat down next to her with his own as she read on. Remembering what Professor Lupin had asked of him the night before, Neville tried to think of a good way to start a conversation.

"What are you doing?" he eventually asked.

"Taking notes of what potions could possible be used in the war," Tonks replied.

"Haven't people done that already?" Surely the ministry would have thought of that, especially with Professor Snape on the run.

"Well yeah," Tonks replied. "But I'm just checking over them again."

"Found any ones that have been missed?" he asked, trying to get her to keep on talking.

"No," she replied with a sigh. "And all the ones that have been used won't be found in these sorts of potions books anyway." She slammed the book shut.

"Are you alright?" Neville asked. She had an air of frustration about her.

"Ha!" she exclaimed. "My good wands broken, so I'm having to sit here when I could be doing two million more useful things."

"What about your bad wand?" Neville asked, assuming that if you had one, you must have the other.

"It's a piece of junk," Tonks replied. "It's about as good as having no wand, which is why I'm stuck hiding out at my parents place for the week."

"Oh," Neville replied, wondering whether Tonks staying was a good thing. At least he could keep an eye on her like Lupin had asked him to.

Tonks picked up a book again and started looking through it and Neville went back to eating his sandwich.

---

The hours passed by and dinner, left over lasagne from the eventful night before, was on served on five plates, but Lupin did not arrive. Tonks seemed anxious, but insisted that everybody begin to eat. She herself sat at a place by the window and kept on glancing out of it, waiting for Lupin to show.

Andromeda and Ted remained quiet, but to Neville it seemed like they were getting along again. Every now and again they gave each other glances and then looked at their daughter.

"When did he say he would be back?" Andromeda asked, a concerned note in her voice.

"Seven," Tonks replied. Neville glanced at the clock; it was now six thirty.

"Well, there's still plenty of time," Ted said cheerfully, trying to lighten the mood, as if every one of them wasn't thinking what could have happened to Lupin, and Harry.

They continued eating, Ted questioning Neville on how Luna was doing. Ted and Andromeda had grown accustomed to the every day correspondence from her, Luna's pushy owl Duck had seen to that.

Luna herself had not mentioned what Neville had told her about Tonks directly. Instead she told him about the security checks her father had to go through to work in Diagon Alley, and how he was not letting her visit his office anymore. Neville now knew that this was Luna's way of acknowledging the growing encroachment of the war on their lives.

Suddenly a white flash seemed to come running at the house from the garden. Neville and Tonks were both on their feet in an instant. Neville had his wand drawn. Ted was fumbling in his robes for his. Andromeda seemed to be sitting there calmly, but Neville noticed she had her wand was in her hand and a determined look in her eyes.

Tonks turned and glanced at the three of them preparing for battle and gave them a small smile. "It's just a Patronus. Calm down, you three." She let out an uncomfortable laugh as the white figure suddenly emerged through the wall by her feet.

A big white dog placed a paw on her lap, and Tonks reached out to grab the paw as if to shake hands with it. As she did, it vanished into nothing in front of the four of them.

"Remus is running an hour late," she announced. "Nothing to worry about."

"You can communicate through your Patronus?" Ted asked.

"Once you can produce a corporeal Patronus it's really not a hard trick to learn."

"Can you teach me?" Neville asked eagerly. Neville realised that if he were to be attacked by Dementors again and not be able to produce a strong patronus he may not be so lucky as to accidentally apparate into Auror headquarters again.

Andromeda and Ted both looked at him, and then to Tonks. She seemed to be considering it.

"You were moaning that you didn't have anything better to do," Andromeda said to Tonks.

"Yes, but Neville's underage," Ted reminded them. "If he uses his wand he'll be expelled."

"Actually, since he's sixteen and it's a time of war I can get him an exemption," Tonks said. This was news to Neville, he had never heard of exemptions before.

"Really?" Neville asked

"Those are new," Andromeda added.

"Not really. It's just that it turns out that nobody has read the entire statute of underage wizardry all the way through in a couple of hundred years and that Kingsley Shacklebolt got even more time on his hand than I have…It's not that hard to get an exemption and I could get onto it tonight," Tonks replied and moved to the table and picked up a fork.

"That'll be great," Neville said. He would love to be able to use his wand. He always kept it with him, but of course was unable to use it.

"Really…So nobody's read the Statute of Underage Wizardry in over two hundred years?" Ted asked.

"Nobody's probably been bothered," Tonks replied.

"After all this time in the wizarding world that surprises you?" Andromeda asked, placing a hand on Ted's arm and smiling.

"That's what I love about it," Ted replied.

---

Lupin eventually returned at seven thirty. Tonks was waiting by the front door by this time. Lupin carried with him a boxed piled to the top with brown covered files. Andromeda was busy writing a letter, she seemed to have gained a correspondent the same way Neville had lately, and missed the homecoming.

"How are things?" Lupin asked as Tonks kissed him on the cheek.

"You wouldn't believe it, but I think Mum's finally come around," Tonks replied, she had noticeably become much livelier in the few moments since Lupin had walked in. "She doesn't openly hate you because of the Werewolf matter anymore," Tonks continued.

"Really…well that's an achievement, I suppose," Lupin replied cautiously smiling.

"Yeah, now if she can just get over the other sixty five million things on her list of things she doesn't like about you and then I'm sure she'll consider stopping the evil looks." Tonks laughed and wrapped her arms around Lupin. Neville smiled. Things seemed to be going well again.

---

Neville was awoken that night by dreams of Dementors. The nights had become cooler again, and with them his nightmares had returned. Deciding he needed a drink of water, he crept out of bed, past Tonks' room, where the sound of light snoring of Lupin wafted through the door.

Andromeda had a perturbed look on her face when Ted had asked Lupin to say. It had occurred soon after Lupin had returned home. But Tonks thought it was a good idea and she encouraged it and Andromeda had eventually given a smile, albeit forced, and said yes. Whether she was actually fine with it or not was no longer the issue since she seemed to be making an effort to like Lupin.

Walking to the kitchen he saw light shining out of the dinning room door. Somebody else was up. Passing it on his way he spied Tonks sitting at the table surrounded by a pile of files with a quill in her hand.

"Wotcher Neville," she said, not looking up.

He was startled, he was sure she had not seen him coming.

"How did you know it was me?" he asked.

"Well, your lighter than Dad and Remus. And Mum tends to stride."

Neville thought that made sense, Ted was much bigger than him and Lupin taller.

"Plus I can see your reflection in the window," she said. Neville then noticed that the curtains had not been drawn and that he could be seen standing in the doorway.

"Oh…well, do you want anything to drink?" he asked. It seemed only polite since he was heading to the kitchen.

"Okay, sure. I'd love a cup of tea if that isn't too much fuss," she smiled and Neville agreed.

He headed to the kitchen and put the kettle on deciding he may as well also have tea. Neville walked back into the dining room some time later, two cups in his hand.

"Thanks," Tonks smiled as she took a cup of him. Neville pulled out a chair next to her and sat down to drink him.

He had a look at what Tonks was looking at. He could not see anything. All the folders contained were blank sheets of parchment, though Tonks was reading them as if there was writing all over them and making notes on another very large piece of parchment, which again had nothing on it.

"What are you doing?" he eventually asked when his curiosity got the better of him.

Tonks looked up. "Work."

So that was what she was up to, sneaking around the house at night to work when she should not be.

"Shouldn't you be having some time off?"

"I can't sleep…Night shift will do that to you…Might as well be doing something and that's important," she replied.

"It doesn't look like anything to me."

Tonks looked at him puzzled for a second. Then a look of recognition came across her face. "I keep on forgetting about the protections. That's because you can't see it, I can."

"Oh," Neville replied.

They continued in silence for a while, both of them slowly sipping on their tea. Until Tonks closed a file, lifted her head up and declared, "Well, I'm done with this. So how's life with my parents?" she asked.

"Alright," Neville replied, not expecting her to start questioning.

"Mum not driving you nuts with her cleaning demands?"

"No," Neville replied.

"Really? Used to drive me nuts. Cleaning is so fruitless. What's the point in cleaning the kitchen three times a day. It'll just get messed up again. Might as well clean it once a day. Or when you run out of plates" she announced.

"I don't mind, it's not any different from living with my Gran really. She likes to have things neat as well," Neville answered.

"Maybe it's an old family thing," Tonks replied thoughtfully, which Neville took to mean pureblood.

"Yeah," Neville replied, wondering if he would be a good judge of these things being a pureblood himself.

"Then again, I once came across a family of Muggles who were just as tidy. Well, tidier since they didn't have Dad running around making a big mess and it's harder for Muggles to clean, they don't have wands."

Neville nodded thinking this was one of the strangest conversations he had ever been in, comparing the cleanliness habits of Muggles and wizards, sounded like an assignment for his Muggle studies class.

"So were you expecting Mum when you took the job?" she asked, her demeanour suddenly turning to one more serious.

"No, I was expecting Demeter Willows," he replied truthfully.

She nodded. "Good."

"You've probably figured out that me and Mum have had…issues in the past year. As a result Demeter's been forced to be a bit of a hermit and I was wondering whether mum was still using her."

"How can Demeter be in hiding? She's your Mother," he asked.

"Not all of her," Tonks replied. "I'm the body and face. Mum's the herbology wiz and the business tycoon so I suppose she's the brain. It worked like a charm too until we started fighting."

She yawned and Neville realised that he had finished his tea.

"I think I can sleep now," she announced. Tonks started packing up the folders and pieces of parchment all over the table.

"Yeah, me too," Neville replied getting up.

"You know, Mum's going to kill us in the morning for not using coasters," she grinned as Neville left her behind to head for bed.


	10. As Good As It Gets

**Chapter Ten – As Good as it Gets**

**Author's Notes: **Thank you to Nathaniel for the beta work.

Also a big thank you to those still reading and those leaving feedback. It is very much appreciated.

* * *

"Okay, now think of a happy thought," Tonks said for what seemed to Neville to be the fiftieth time that day. They had been standing out in the garden all afternoon working on Neville's Patronus, but were having little success.

"I know," Neville muttered, trying to concentrate on a happy thought. Winning the house cup in first year. "_Expecto Patronum_," he yelled loudly, focusing all his energy on the white mist escaping out of his wand, trying to will it into a shape.

He hung his wand by his side. "This isn't really working, is it?" Tonks said, stating what to Neville seemed to be the obvious.

"Maybe I'm just not powerful enough to conjure one," Neville suggested. He had thought that maybe he was capable of it. He had been doing so well since he got his new wand, but maybe that was false hope.

"No. You're nearly there. I'm just a lousy teacher," Tonks announced, just as frustrated as he was. "Remus, give us a hand," she called. Lupin, who had been trying to disguise his watching of them by reading a book, was sitting in a chair a few metres away.

"Well, tell Neville about how you managed to conjure your first Patronus, that might help him," Lupin suggested.

"No, _you_ help Neville. I give up. I'm not the teacher here."

Lupin had a look of disappointment about him. "You're the one who has to supervise."

"Well, I can supervise from your chair," Tonks said.

"No. I think you're both nearly there," Lupin replied.

Tonks placed her hands on her hips. "What is with you lately? It's not like you to pass on teaching someone willing to learn?"

Lupin looked at Tonks sheepishly, it seemed clear to even Neville now that he was hiding something. "I just happen to think that it's important for you to teach him."

"Oh no, Remus. You've got some crazy idea in your head, haven't you?"

"Only you would think it's nuts. Professor McGonagall and Mad-Eye happen to agree with me."

"Great." Tonks rolled her eyes. "The three of you have been conspiring behind my back. I'm not a teacher, Remus. I'm an Auror."

"Which means you've got more experience than most of the candidates that have taken the job in the past Merlin-knows how many years." Neville didn't know if this was true, yes, Lockhart and Umbridge were hopeless, but from what Neville had heard around the school, Quirrell, Barty Crouch Junior and Snape all knew what they were doing.

"Yeah, but I can't teach that to a classroom of kids."

"Yes you can. You just need some practice," Lupin replied, trying desperately to change her mind.

"I think it's a good idea," Andromeda announced. Neville hadn't noticed her come out of the greenhouse. She was walking towards the house.

Tonks rolled her eyes again. "Well congratulations, Remus, you've gone from the bane of my mother's existence to her favourite person in all of five seconds. That's a new record." She sighed frustrated at the both of them. "No, no, no and that is final," she added on for good measure. And started to walk towards the house.

Tonks wasn't being very helpful with Neville trying to create a Patronus, but thinking about the alternatives, Neville realised he would take her over another Snape or Crouch any day.

"Umm…That's fine but can you finish helping me with my Patronus," Neville called after her. Tonks stopped in her tracks. Lupin smiled at him as Tonks headed back.

Lupin stood around as Tonks began again, using Lupin's advice. "Okay then. When I tried to summon a Patronus, I was hard stuck for the right happy memory," Tonks announced. "Maybe that's your problem. Maybe you should try a different one."

Neville tried thinking about getting an O in Herbology. He tried again, still no shape.

"Maybe a different one," Tonks tried again.

Neville though of the DA lessons. How he had managed to achieve so much. He tried again. Sill only silvery mist appeared.

"Well, what's yours?" Neville asked frustrated. Maybe if he had an example he could think of something suitable.

Tonks blushed. "Umm. Well…" She looked down if embarrassed by it.

"Mine's my best friend revealing that he became an illegal animagus to help with my transformations," Lupin confessed. "I was so angry at him at the time, and James and Peter too when they announced that they had done it too. They had been sneaking around my back for years to do it. But looking back at it, it was one of the most wonderful things that anyone has ever done for me."

"So you didn't have to be happy at the time then?" Neville asked. This was quite a revelation to him.

"No," Lupin said.

"Okay then. I think I have one," Neville said. An idea had formed in his mind.

Neville closed his eyes and concentrated hard. Standing by the rubble of his house, only to find out that the house elves had saved his mimbulus, that Trevor was still alive. Finding out that Tonks wasn't dead. His Gran walking in his hospital room, alive and well.

"_Expecto Patronum_!"

"You did it!" he heard Tonks exclaim as she gave him a slap on the shoulder. Neville opened his eyes. Standing before him was a sold, silver-white and very large toad.

Neville blushed. Lupin's Patronus was a dog, Harry's a stag and Hermione's an otter, all impressive creatures, and his was a toad. It was embarrassing but oh so typical.

"It's a toad," Tonks announced.

"Yeah, I know," he replied. Neville supposed it was his fault for thinking of Trevor as part of his happy memory. If only he had gotten an Owl for his eleventh birthday instead. The Patronus stared up at him with the same bored expression that Trevor so often wore.

"Plenty of people have small animals as a Patronus," Lupin said. The pair of teachers must have picked up on his disappointment.

"Don't be embarrassed because it's not something cool," Tonks said. "My first Patronus was a caterpillar."

"Really?" Neville asked.

"Yeah. I was devastated the first time I saw it, this gigantic, slow moving caterpillar. And I got mocked mercilessly by the rest of the trainee Aurors, but when push came to shove, it was just as powerful as theirs."

"Okay," Neville replied, still not quite satisfied.

"The form they take on doesn't matter, they all do the same thing. Actually, me and Seth Proudfoot ended up having a competition to see who's was the strongest, and I won four out of seven times."

"What was his?" Neville asked.

"A Jackal," Tonks replied. If Tonks were indeed telling the truth, then Neville guessed his toad would be all right.

---

They spent the rest of the afternoon with Neville learning to send messages via his frog Patronus. Like Tonks had said, it really was not that hard. All he needed to do was command it with his mind to carry a short message. Tonks and Lupin understood it nearly every time.

Neville tracked down Trevor that evening. He was spending most of his time in the greenhouse, happily living amongst the various species of plant that Andromeda tended to. Lupin and Tonks had gone out 'on business', Andromeda was writing letters again, Ted was engaged in some book about espionage and Neville found himself without much to do.

The greenhouse was so calm at night, though Neville did not feel comfortable in the darkness surrounded by so many panes of glass. Kept on thinking that anything could be out there in the night, sitting there and watching him. So Neville planned to not stay long, he would go back into the house before sunset.

Looking at Trevor, happily sitting with the honking daffodils, Neville thought that maybe his Patronus was a toad, because deep down he was like Trevor; rather boring and incapable of doing anything particularly impressive.

Neville got up and went to check on the _Mimbulus_. His stood by Andromeda's. You could easily tell the difference, his was bigger, but the others were catching up. There were still no flowers or seedpods or fruit or even branches he could use as clippings.

Neville was starting to wonder whether he was wrong. Maybe they could not be cultivated. Maybe this aspect had led them towards extinction in the first place.

Neville headed back to the house and found a letter from Luna waiting. She was spending her time experimenting with cooking. Neville thought her idea of a strawberry-vanilla-chocolate-caramel cake sounded good, but the eggplant biscuits sounded rather disgusting. Ted had a good laugh when he told him about the later. Neville wrote back telling her about his Patronus.

He then picked up another piece of parchment and begun writing.

Dear Gran… 

---

A post owl arrived that morning during breakfast. At first Neville thought it might be a message back from his Gran. The night before he had told her about his Patronus, knowing it was something she would be proud of.

Instead the owl was carrying a rectangle-shaped box and landed in front of Tonks.

"Finally," she exclaimed as she grabbed the box and pulled out her new wand. With a flick she produced an impressive amount of pink and green sparks.

"Where did you get that one from?" Ted asked. Good wands were few and far between in Britain these days with Olivander's having been closed and the major overseas wand makers being too afraid to set up shop. Instead many cheap wand shops had started charging exuberant prices for wands of very poor quality.

"Well, you know how I had trouble finding a decent wand for myself from any place in Europe? I found a place in New Zealand that will make wands to specification, so it's practically the same as my first."

"And it arrived that quickly?" Ted asked. Tonks had only broken her wand a few days ago.

"No. I've had this on order for three months. And that's with them putting me at the top of the line because of my job…that's why the Death Eaters have taken to attacking Auror's wand arms. In the hope we'll not be as effective with defective wands and using our weak arms," she added quietly.

Ted looked horrified. Neville knew otherwise. It was an old tactic used in many magical wars. Andromeda and Lupin seemed to be unsurprised as well. Very few fighters survived wars with both hands, but this sort of history was not really taught in the Magic of History class. It was handed down the generations when children look at the portraits in their homes and would ask why so many of their ancestors had pieces of them missing.

"Want to do target practice today, Neville?" Tonks asked. "I could use a sparing partner?"

"Yeah, alright," Neville replied happily. Not many got the opportunity to train one on one with an Auror.

---

Tonks went digging around her room after breakfast and produced a wooden dummy of a person and placed him on the back lawn. "Dad made me this for my seventeenth birthday," she announced, "for practice and training. It used to run around but one day the charm went a bit funny and it tried to strangle me, so we're just going to have to sit it here," she finished, putting it down by the hedge separated the backyards from the neighbours a nearby field.

"Stupefy," she yelled. A shot of red light emerged from her wand and hit the wooden man in the head.

"Bugger," she muttered.

"You hit him," Neville reminded her.

"Yeah, but I was going for the chest," she stared at her wand hand for a while, and then her wand. "It's a bit weird using my new wand, it's a different weight. You try."

Neville pulled out his wand. "Stupefy," he yelled and a red jet of light skimmed over the wooden man's left shoulder.

"Hey, you're pretty good," Tonks said, smiling at him.

"Not really," Neville said. Not compared to her, when she missed she at least hit it, and she was working with a new wand.

"No, when I was your age, I was truly awful," she said, "and I was the best in my year too." She pointed her wand and sent out another jet of light, this time wordlessly. It hit the wooden man in the upper thigh.

Neville was far from the best in his, Harry, Ron and Hermione were all really good. So was Draco Malfoy. "Your defence teachers must have been really awful then. Even worse than ours," Neville said as he did the same wordless magic and managed to send the red jet over the other shoulder.

"Probably," Tonks said, sending another stupefy charm, this time hitting the wooden man in the crotch. She let out a small laugh. "I learnt more from hexing Charlie Weasley than I ever did in class."

"I learnt most of what I know from Harry," Neville said. Harry had made a good defence teacher, in the small time the DA had been running Neville had learnt more useful spells than he had in Defence against the Dark Arts. He sent another curse at the wooden man and hit him in the chin.

"Yeah, but Remus was pretty good, wasn't he?" Tonks asked.

"Yeah," Neville replied and told her the story about how he had learnt to get rid of a boggart. She smiled at his story but did not laugh. Neville realised while he told it that dressing Snape up in his Gran's clothes wasn't that funny after what Snape had done. Snape was now more than a bully - he was a murderer. Everything he had done now had more sinister connotations in Neville's mind, and he supposed Tonks' mind as well.

There was a silence after he finished while he and Tonks continued to hurtle spells at the wooden man. Tonks was now hitting the target in the chest every time, and Neville was proud to be able to say he was hitting it more times than not.

"So what do you want to do when you leave Hogwarts?" Tonks asked, striking up conversation again.

"I don't know," Neville said truthfully. "I like working with plants, that's why I'm here," he said. "But I also want to be an Auror like my mum and dad. I want to help out in the war." Neville braced himself waiting for the look of sympathy from Tonks, but she didn't take her gaze of the wooden target.

"Well, many people have been joining the Department of Law Enforcement lately to help out in the war. Most of the ones I've talked to intend to go back to their jobs after the war ends," she replied.

Neville hurtled a few more curses. "I don't think that they would take me anyway. I don't take Potions or Transfiguration." Neville had been devastated when he realised that he would not be able to get into Transfiguration, but Potions was mixed with the relief that he would never have to work with Snape again (though what with Snape getting the Defence position that did not really work out).

Tonks hurtled a few more curses at the wooden man, with more ferocity to her action. "They'll let you be an Auror at the moment. It's war so they'll send anyone with a wand out there at the moment," she said, a hint of distain in her voice.

Neville had forgotten that the Ministry was a touchy subject with Tonks at the moment.

"Did you always want to be an Auror?" he asked, trying to change the subject at bit.

"Pretty much," she said. "I wanted to do some good. I thought it was about time somebody in my family did - Do you want to do some shield charms?" she quickly asked.

Andromeda and Tonks seemed so far removed from Bellatrix Lestrange; Andromeda with her strange need to have everything controlled and perfect, and Tonks with her passion for the cause; that Neville managed to forget about their relations most of the time. "Yeah, alright," he replied.

"Great, I'll go grab some cushions."

They spend the rest of the time trying to block each other's stunning charms. Tonks went easy on him at first, but Neville asked her to try a bit harder, and he found himself lying on his back on a pile of couch cushions facing the sky quite a lot that afternoon.

Tonks herself deflected a lot of them; they went spurting off into the garden, hitting the house, greenhouse and plants surrounding them, preventing Ted, Lupin and Andromeda from leaving the house. Neville was quite frustrated that he couldn't hit her as much as she could hit him. Though one or two got through, leaving Tonks in the same embarrassing position he found himself in quite a bit. He was not sure, but he was pretty confident she had let him hit her a few of the times.

---

Neville's Gran did not write back to him that evening. He was beginning to wonder if she was not talking to him. Luna wrote back asking if Professor Lupin was going to teach Defence against the Dark Arts again that year. Neville asked again and Lupin explained that it was currently illegal for him to be a teacher and it did not look like the law would change. But he did tell Neville to write back thanking her for the kind wishes.

Lupin and Tonks disappeared shortly after dinner, citing that they had some business to attend to. Neville figured they were going to some sort of meeting. Ted came in the lounge with a box.

"I found the old monopoly set," he announced. "I was cleaning the garage – don't give me that look, Andi-" Andromeda had a look of shocked disbelief on her face, "-and I found this, and my old cricket stuff."

"What's monopoly?" Neville asked.

"An addiction," Andromeda replied quickly before Ted could get a word in.

"I'm glad you asked, it's a Muggle game, which I've played around with a bit and now it's a lot more fun," Ted announced, smiling gleefully.

Ted and Andromeda proceed to teach Neville the basic game, to get as much Muggle money as one could. The counters would move around the board game and bark orders at the players, and the squares would construct fancy houses and even more impressive hotels that reached three feet in the air and had the players name lit up in neon lighting. Andromeda eventually won. By the end two sides of the board all had brilliant three story houses on them or "Andromeda Towers" hotels decorating them. Neville and Ted didn't stand a chance.

Andromeda smiled wickedly as she grabbed the last bits of Ted's money and Tonks and Lupin walked in the room having returned from the meeting.

"You won't believe what Fleur asked me?" she announced loudly as she walked into the lounge. "Oh, bloody hell. Dad!" she moaned suddenly, covering her eyes with her hand. "I can't see that."

"Isn't that a Muggle artefact?" Lupin asked.

"Which would be why I can't see it," Tonks replied.

"It's not doing any harm," Ted said while waving his wand and causing Andromeda's hotels and houses to demolish themselves. "Arthur wouldn't mind."

"I'm an Auror and you're breaking the law. If I were to see that I'm duty bound to report you," Tonks said, pulling her hand down.

"Considering you and your mother have been committing identity fraud for the past few years, I'm sure you can let me off with a warning just this once," Ted replied.

Tonks made a small smile. "Neville shouldn't be allowed to stay here. We're corrupting him, I'm sure of it."

"Did Fleur ask you not to have that hair at her wedding?" Andromeda asked. Tonks was wearing her hair short and pink and had done since the morning.

Tonks crinkled her noise. "Actually, yes. How did you know that?"

Ted laughed, "You have a lot to learn about brides. Your mother cancelled our whole wedding when she found out she couldn't fit into her mother's wedding dress."

"Wait, so I'm a bastard because you didn't want to get married while pregnant?" Tonks asked. "You said it was because you didn't have enough money to pay a priest."

"Well, it was that too…but I was eighteen at the time and it was the only thing I had managed to steal off my family," Andromeda explained.

"You had your revenge though. You threw up all over your mother's wedding dress at the actual wedding."

Lupin let out a small laugh, but stifled it quickly. "Thank Merlin for cleaning charms," Andromeda announced.

Tonks rubbed her forehead and looked to Neville. "Still want to stay here?"

"Oh, every family has got wedding stories like that," Lupin added. "I remember spending the morning of James Potter's wedding trying out every hang-over cure ever invented in the hope to get him down the alter without throwing up. We got him there though, he even looked like a million Galleons too."

"What worked?" Ted asked.

"Sirius told him Lily was pregnant. That sobered him up pretty quickly." Lupin laughed.

"And as it turned out he was right too. Harry was born eight months later," he added. They all laughed, including Neville, who couldn't help but feel like he had missed out on these stories from his own family.

---

When Neville went to bed shortly afterwards, he found an unfamiliar owl in his room sitting by his bed. He grabbed the letter off it.

Dear Neville, His Gran had written, Your father's Patronus was magnificent, it took on the shape of a Kingfisher, while your mother's took on the shape of a Heron. They were beautiful together. Yours, Augusta Longbottom. 

Neville didn't know what to make of it. She didn't say anything about how she was doing, or about whether she liked the form of his Patronus. Puzzled Neville went to bed. A Kingfisher and a Heron, he thought, and smiled. They were both beautiful birds.


	11. Undone

**Chapter Eleven - Undone**

**Author's Notes: **A great deal of thanks to my beta Nathaniel.

* * *

The next morning, things around the house were much more subdued. Tonks appeared at breakfast dressed in her Auror robes.

"Savages' funeral is today," she announced as she sat down with Neville and her parents for breakfast, "so Remus and I will be gone for the day."

Neville got back to work in the greenhouse. With all the practise he had been doing with defensive spells over the weekend and with Tonks and Lupin being around, the greenhouse seemed to Neville to be very detached from the war.

Ted joined him and Andromeda that day. He was working on the Whomping Willows again, after having come up with a new idea. Though he was not having much success, Neville kept on hearing cursing coming from that section of the greenhouse. Ted knew some pretty impressive language, including curses that Neville had never heard before. Though, as it turned out, some of it was justified.

Ted showed off the impressive black eye he gained for his efforts to his daughter over the dining table.

"That's impressive, Dad," she responded weakly, not paying him much attention. Both she and Lupin had been quiet since they had returned. "I think I might head back to my flat tomorrow morning," she said quietly.

"No…stay here a few more days," Andromeda pleaded.

"I don't know,"

"Please, for me and your father. Stay around another day,"

"Alright, one more day, but I do have stuff I need to do," Tonks finally agreed. But the cheeriness that she had had all weekend did not show up again that evening.

---

Neville headed down the stairs the next morning to find Ted sitting eating breakfast.

"Brilliant day, isn't it, Nev," he said as Neville sat down.

Neville looked out the window. "Yeah," he replied. It was quite brilliant. There was not a cloud in the sky and Neville did not think he had ever seen the sky so blue.

"The prefect day to blow off work and play some backyard cricket, isn't it?" Ted said.

Neville didn't have a clue what he was talking about. All he could think about was the insect. "What's cricket?" he asked.

"I sometimes wonder if fun was a Muggle creation -- It's a game."

"Like Monopoly?" Neville asked.

Ted laughed. "No, nothing like Monopoly."

Ted seemed to have the same conversation with every person in the house as they appeared for breakfast. Until Neville, Lupin and Andromeda all ended up on the lawn wearing t-shirts and shorts. Well, accept for Andromeda who wore a long skirt as always. "This behaviour from Ted would be why I hid the cricket set," Andromeda announced

Ted was busy hitting three white poles in the ground, taking a long time and a lot of care to make sure they were all the same distance apart and height.

Tonks emerged from the house, wearing a yellow t-shirt, which Neville saw was a Weasley brother's creation. It had 'I survived U-No-Poo' across the front in the same colour pink as Tonks's hair.

"You own one of those?" Andromeda said curtly.

"Yeah, they're brilliant. The fabric's got shield charms worked through it."

Andromeda gave her a look of condemnation and Tonks rolled her eyes. "Lighten up a bit, would you. People need a laugh right now, and You-Know-Who deserves to be mocked more than anybody I can think of."

Ted eventually wandered over. "Right, the rules of cricket…"

"You're not going to make us play a proper match, are you? We've only got five people," Tonks butted in.

"The rules of cricket are," Ted continued, ignoring Tonks who rolled her eyes again, "you hit the ball with the bat," he waved the rectangular bat he was carrying in one hand, "in order to prevent the ball from hitting the wickets."

"Those three sticks," Andromeda explained.

"And then you run," Tonks continued, "to that pole and back,"

"And if you are caught before the ball hits the ground, or if somebody hits the wicket while you are running, you are out and another persons in. Dora, I give you first bat, show them how it's done. I'll bowl. Andi, wickets if you please."

"Remus, Neville, if you could just stand one on each side and catch the ball if it comes in your direction and then throw it to me or Andi, that would be great," Ted finished.

"Sounds easy enough," Lupin whispered to Neville as they walked over.

"Ha…You've obviously never played my Dad," Tonks said loudly having overheard him.

"You're just as bad," Andromeda remarked.

It looked easy enough, Ted would throw the ball and Tonks would whack it with the bat, sending it flying. Then she would run to where Ted was stranding, waiving the bat in the air showing off. Lupin would pass the ball to Ted, apologising profusely to Tonks the whole time. Ted would then inevitably throw the ball at the wickets just as Tonks was getting back, leading to a big argument about whether it was in or out. And Andromeda would finally announce that actually _this_ behaviour was the reason why she hid the cricket set.

Neville even found out that he wasn't too bad at it. But then Lupin was the one lobbing the ball at him, and he wasn't particularly good at it like Ted was. Ted eventually caught him out. But Neville was really enjoying the antics between Ted and Tonks. They both got really passionate about it.

"They're both beaters," Andromeda explained. "Being able to hit the ball is a matter of great pride to them both."

The wind started blowing stronger through the morning, but they continued playing. When it was Tonks' turn to bat, she switched over from bowling and Ted took over bowling again. Neville was bracing himself to catch a big hit when the ball sailed straight past Tonks and hit the wickets.

Ted was waiving his hands in the air, shouting something about needing some real competition, but Tonks didn't say anything. Tonks had not even seen the ball - she was staring at the roof of the house.

Andromeda had spotted what Tonks had and was staring too. Neville could not see anything except blue sky so he, along with Lupin from the other side wandered over to where the women were standing.

The wind whipped up around them much more fiercely all of a sudden, Neville's hair blew everywhere and the clothesline made menacing groans. Neville finally reached where Tonks was standing and saw what she saw. Dark, fearsome black clouds were moving upon them quickly.

And then Neville saw something that chilled him to the bone. A flash of lightning hit the ground just over the house. But this was no ordinary lightning that Neville had ever seen before. It was green.

"Get in the house!" Tonks screamed.

The four of them began running for the door, struggling against the surging wind. Thunder crashed around them and raindrops began to fall heavily. Ted seemed to have notice something was wrong and was looking to the sky. Tonks and Lupin made a beeline for him and grabbed him by each arm and dragged him towards the back door.

Andromeda and Neville arrived first and it took both of them to slam the door shut after the last three struggled in, the door was caught in the wind.

"The windows," Lupin said breathlessly, causing all five of them to run around the house shutting them and then double-checking they were closed. They met in the lounge and stared out the windows at the rain hitting the garden. The short trees were nearly doubled with the wind.

Then the lighting hit the back garden.

Andromeda let out a small scream when the green light emerged from the sky and hit the ground in the middle of their makeshift cricket pitch. Three more hit different patches in the ground. Neville flinched violently as each one did. Lupin wrapped his arms around Tonks and Ted wrapped one around Andromeda and placed one on Neville's shoulder. Andromeda grabbed Neville's hand and held onto it tightly. They all remained transfixed at what was happening in the garden. The thunder caused the house to shake around them. The rain hit the roof and window so hard it deafened them and Neville was scared they were going to break.

Another green bolt of lightning hit a tree. Andromeda flinched as it did so, Neville felt himself doing the same. The tree shrivelled before their eyes as it died. Neville did not know what happened when the killing curse hit a plant, but this is what he imagined it would be like.

A bolt hit the greenhouse, Andromeda let out another soft cry as shards of glass from broken panes went flying everywhere.

Three more bolts of lightning hit the garden in front of them as the rain and wind intensified, and just when Neville thought another thunderclap would cause the windows to fall out on their panes, it stopped. The rains stopped and the wind died down. Blue sky appeared overhead. They all watched as the clouds continued in a relentless march away from them. All Neville could now hear was the beating of his heart in his chest.

Tonks finally broke the silence. "I have to go to work. I've got to warn others."

"Don't go out in that," Andromeda urged her.

"I'll apparate from here," she said. "Don't go outside until I get back," She hugged her mother and father quickly and then grabbed Neville. She was shaking a bit. Then she kissed Lupin, Neville heard her whisper something to him and appared away from the lounge.

"What was that?" Ted asked.

"I don't know," Lupin said, he was looking outside at the dead tree. "I've never heard of anything like it."

"It was him," Andromeda said quietly.

Lupin pulled his wand out and muttered, "_Expecto Patronum_". A big silvery white dog got up and ran through the wall.

Neville was shocked. He had never heard of anything so powerful as to turn lighting into a killing curse. And was it just the lightning that was evil or was it the whole storm?

"Was that really rain?" Neville asked, wondering what he, the rest of them and the countryside were covered in.

Lupin looked at him, a haunted look in his eyes.

"Right, everybody gets changed now. Neville, you're first in the shower," Lupin announced.

After they had all been showered, they all ended up sitting in the lounge, warm but still in shock. The day's weather seemed perfect again, but Neville couldn't get over how quickly it had changed. How many people had been caught in the storm?

Ted went out an emerged with some roast beef sandwiches and crisps that they all ate in silence.

"Monopoly, anyone?" Ted finally asked.

---

Tonks returned after dark. She sat on the chair heavily. She looked exhausted. "It was You-Know-Who," she announced quietly.

She struggled and pulled out a photograph from her pocket. "The Muggles have cameras in the sky. Kingsley got this to us," she passed it to Lupin, who in turn handed it to Andromeda, Ted and then Neville.

Only one cloud hung above Cheshire. It had the vague outline of a skull.

"It only lasted an hour," she continued, her voice a monotone, "but it moved fast. We don't know how many are dead."

"Why?" Andromeda asked, as if anyone in the room could explain how much hate it would take to conjure up something so evil.

"It was a warning," Tonks said.

"To Harry." Lupin added. It wasn't a question, but Tonks nodded anyway.

---

Tonks left in the morning and Lupin with her. It was understandable, she was called back to work in Hogsmeade to help reassure the people that a similar storm wasn't going to hit them.

The storm was all over the news. It was the first eight pages of the Prophet and all that was ever talked about on the Wizards Wireless. In an hour it had managed to work its way from Cheshire and North Wales to Surrey and out to sea before it disappeared. Over two hundred people were stuck by what people could only call lightning and perished and most of them were Muggles who didn't have a chance to get away. Crops and animals that were in the storms path were destroyed. Buildings fell. There was one tragedy Neville heard over the wireless, the roof had blown off of one Muggle family's home. They were all found dead inside.

People were afraid to leave their homes. The weather for Britain was still beautiful, but for everyone the summer was now over.

Once it was announced that it was safe to go outside, Neville helped Andromeda and Ted inspect the damage. Two trees outside the front of the house were now dead, including one of their wand grade trees, and a further one had been stuck behind the house. That was the one they had all watched. Where the lightning had struck the ground patches of the law, two meters in diameter were brown and dead.

Worst was the greenhouse. Three of the panes of glass had shattered, which had caused wind and rain to charge through and scatter soil, leaves, plants and pots throughout.

Mercifully, the glass encasing the Venomous Tentacula had remained intact. If it had broken, vines would have worked their way through the greenhouse overnight and it would not have been safe to work in there anymore.

Andromeda took the devastation in her stride. "Ted and I started out with nothing. Ted worked sixteen hours a day to keep us in food when he was seventeen. I cleaned people homes for ten years. Nymphadora went to Hogwarts on scholarship money. This - this will not stop us," she told Neville when he asked what she was going to do. "We just have to clean everything up."

And so they began. Ted couldn't help out at first. He was busy fixing the shingles that had fallen from the roof. Unbreakable glass was in short supply, so Andromeda and Ted had to make do with the ordinary Muggle kind to replace the broken panes.

Neville went through the pots, cataloguing what everything was, what had survived, what needed urgent attention if it was going survive, and throwing out the plants that could not be saved. It was no easy to tell the difference, but Neville thought it was wonderful that Andromeda trusted him to make that decision. At one point Neville got into a tussle with a rather angry Whomping Willow what was lying on its side amongst pots of aconite. Neville and Andromeda had to do all this while wearing earmuffs for the first week - that was how long it took them both to track down the location of all the mandrake seedlings.

From there, with Ted's help they rebuilt workbenches, planted seedlings, cleaned up the glass and broken bits of terracotta and soil and worked out what needed to be done to secure the greenhouse from another storm. It was exhausting work and Neville lived in constant fear of what could emerge from the sky, but seeing the greenhouse fixed again, though considerably emptier, was worth it.

The survival story of the plants was the _Mimbulus_. It took three days after the storm for him to do it but Neville found them all standing up sheltered by a rather large pot and a broken workbench, standing upright and looking none the worse for the wear. How they all managed to travel five metres across from their normal position and one metre down from the bench they were normally situated while not losing any soil and remaining upright, mystified Neville. But his faith in the magical properties of the plants was restored. If they could somehow survive that, then there must be something truly wonderful about them.

Andromeda thought this was brilliant to and immediately set about writing an article to a herbology journal about the phenomenon, signing it from her and Neville. Luna wrote that she was going to do an article about the amazing surviving _Mimbulus _for _The Quibbler_. Between that article and the interview with Harry, Neville wondered how much of _The Quibbler _also happened to be true.

Neville also told Tonks when she came for a visit. She looked at him shocked. "That's rather freaky," she announced. "Next thing you know we'll all be blind and they'll be taking over the world. You just wait. Thing aren't supposed to survive like that."

Tonks came to stay for a few nights while Lupin underwent his monthly transformations. She confessed to her parents over the dinning table that part of Lupin and her being together was that she had promised to stay well away during the full moon. Meanwhile Lupin was locked in an empty dungeon classroom at Hogwarts, being guarded by Hagrid. So she figured her parents place was more than far enough away.

Neville himself had found he had difficulty sleeping during the full moon. Nightmares of the events of that night plagued him. Dementors were trying to engulf his head, the blackness threatening to suffocating and the salivating jaws of wolves snapped at his ankles.

On the night of the full moon, he gave up trying to sleep and decided to grab some books from Andromeda bookcase in the lounge, when he found Tonks sitting by the window staring out at the moon, a copy of the Daily Prophet in her hand. The daily news had not improved; in fact Neville thought it may be getting worse. Not only were there raids on peoples' houses, but today's main story was of a child that had been used under Imperius to attack its parent. Neville thought it was just sick, using a child like that. Andromeda and Ted had both seemed very upset by the news. It was a child and nobody wanted to hear of a child suffer like that.

"Can't sleep either?" she asked.

"No."

"I normally go into the office on nights like this, but your incident the other month had me thinking. I think I'm actually glad they won't let me work full moons," she confessed.

"I mean," she sighed. "It's difficult…Everything's difficult."

They sat there not speaking for a moment, Neville unsure what to say to Tonks.

"It's terrible what happened to that child," Neville eventually said, trying to make some conversations.

However, Tonks seemed to flinch when Neville brought it up "Yes," she said quickly. She looked really uncomfortable.

He realised that it was a silly thing to talk about, something nobody really wanted to discuss.

"I think I'm going to go to bed," she announced getting up.

"Okay then. Goodnight," Neville replied.

"Goodnight." She headed upstairs, taking the paper with her.

---

Tonks left as quietly as she came. She slipped out of the house without much by the way of goodbye the next morning, but there was a great commotion that day. Neville and Andromeda appeared out of the greenhouse after a particularly arduous morning of planting only to find a stranger, a plump middle aged bearded man in the house speaking with Ted in hushed voices.

From his clothes he was obviously a wizard. Neville kept back while Andromeda went up to Ted. Neville could not hear what was going on but Ted looked alarmed and Andromeda irritated until Ted leaned over and whispered something into her ear. She joined Ted in his expression of mild alarm.

Then two more wizards appeared, walking out of the corridor with cardboard boxes in their hands. Neville heard them all say goodbye before the three stranger left the house.

Wondering whether it was his place to ask, he eventually did, there were not often visitors to the Tonks household. "Um…what were those people doing?"

Ted gave a small smile. "They were from the Ministry, I did some work many years ago that they are now interested in again."

He clapped his hands together. "Now what should we have for lunch," he added, his usual enthusiasm entering into his voice.

Neville deduced that Ted did not want to talk about it, and the matter was soon forgotten.


	12. Not Given Lightly

**Chapter Twelve – Not Given Lightly**

**Author's Notes:** Thank you to Nathaniel my wonderful beta and thank you to all of you who are reading.

* * *

A week after Tonks left, Neville borrowed a bag off Ted and packed in the clothes he would need for three nights at the Weasley household. Neville had bought Harry a present off Andromeda, it was a collection of rare potions ingredients since Neville had heard Harry had become quite good at Potions lately. His own birthday went off very quietly. Andromeda and Ted greeted him with a nice breakfast but not much could occur, Neville had to pack and get to the Weasley home for Bill and Fleur's wedding. 

Andromeda seemed unsure about the security arrangements at the wedding and party and so fussed quite a bit before he left.

"If it's open air, then you should stay close to the door," she said for the fifteenth time that day.

"If it's open air everybody will be standing so close to the bloody door they will all get stuck in it should a cloud come along," Ted said trying to make a joke about the horrific weather. Another storm had not come along since the original, but the fear had not subsided. Nobody had managed to figure out how it had been created, and so everybody was living by the assumption that it could and would happen again.

Neville grabbed a handful of floo powder and threw it onto the fireplace. "The Burrow!" he yelled and felt the world spin around.

Neville arrived in the Weasley's fireplace, and in the process managed to trip over his own feet. A strong arm caught him from landing on his face.

"Wotcher Nev!" Tonks was standing before him, hair a rather putrid shade of purple. Lupin was there too, and Mad-Eye Moody. They both greeted him kindly. The man holding on to him had a familiar shade of red hair and a face covered in freckles. Neville had never met him before, but there was only one Weasley that Neville had not yet run into at some point.

"You must be Neville. I'm Charlie," he said smiling and sticking out his hand. Neville gave it a shake, and realised that the house was deserted. He tried to work out whether he had the date right.

"Where is everyone?"

Tonks opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted.

"Wait!" Mad-Eye boomed, "He still needs to go through security checks."

"We really shouldn't treat everyone like they are a criminal," Tonks replied.

"You can never be sure."

"And I'm not, but I find the idea that somebody has either replaced him or shoved him under Imperius while he is staying at my parents' house rather unappealing, Mad-Eye," Tonks replied in a strained voice.

"Neville, do you mind waiting in the lounge for an hour, please? You understand?" Lupin asked. "We'll tell you what's going on in an hour."

Neville was ushered into the other room where he noticed Fred and George were sitting on one couch.

"Hey Neville," Fred called.

"Stuck at this fun party, I see," George added.

"Are they waiting to see if you two are under polyjuice as well?" Neville asked.

"Yeah, but how do we know that they aren't under polyjuice."

"I smell a conspiracy."

Neville decided to wait it out and sat down.

An hour passed, and more people entered the room and sat down and begun to wait. Shortly after Neville had arrived, three pretty French women sat down. They looked about the same age as the twins and seemed to spend the entire time talking about them in hushed French, much to the twins' delight.

"She's talking about what fine specimen of man I am," George whispered.

"Okay, I've got the brunette, George can have the blonde and Neville, I think that one with the short black hair's yours,"

"I don't know."

"She is into you. Look at her giggling," George said

"That means she likes you," Fred replied. Neville didn't think she was looking at him, but he found himself blushing anyway. She had dark eyes and was rather pretty, though older than Neville.

"Stick with us Neville and you can't go wrong," George announced.

"French women adore Weasleys and it will probably rub off," Fred added.

"We should bottle it and sell it," George continued.

"Call it 'Luck of the Weasleys' and stick a picture of Fleur on the bottle."

"It'll fly off the shelves."

The other Auror that had been there at the Department of Mysteries walked in half an hour later and sat down in the corner. As he did, the girls switched their attention and started admiring him instead of the twins.

Tonks and Mad-Eye eventually walked into the room.

"Fred, George, Neville, Claire, Michelle and Antoinette, if you could all follow me that would be great. Sorry Kingsley, you're going to have to wait a while longer."

"I understand," he said.

They followed her into one of the upstairs bedrooms. They had to pass Mad-Eye in the process who glared at them all with his magical eye, which made Neville rather anxious. The French girls started talking in whispers again, but this time the looked at Tonks, who didn't seem to notice.

"You have to understand, security has to be tight," Tonks said as they entered the room and she picked up an old sock of the ground.

The Twins moaned about wanting their money back and Tonks rolled her eyes.

"Everybody grab the portkey," she shoved it in Neville's hands, "Hagrid will meet you,"

"Have a nice trip," she added as the others grabbed on to it and Neville felt a hook at the back of his belly button.

Neville ended flat on his face at the end of the trip, to add to the embarrassment, he was the only one who had fallen over. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Want to watch for that last step th're, Neville," Hagrid said helping Neville off the ground. Neville looked around, they were at Hogwarts station. There was no train, but a Thestral drawn carriage was waiting for them.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," Hagrid continued. The French girls weren't spending much time looking at Hogwarts. They seemed more interested in Hagrid.

"Ladies," Fred said, placing an arm out, to which Michelle, the brunette happily accepted.

George did the same with the blonde, Claire. Leaving Neville looking at Antoinette. "Er…" he stuck his arm out. She accepted, and Neville felt the blood rush to his cheeks as he walked her to the carriage.

Fred and George continued to talk to their respective partner while the journey continues. Neville couldn't think of anything to say other than, "so you're a friend of Fleur's," and Antoinette spent most of the trip staring out of the window.

They finally arrived at the Hogwarts entrance where Bill and Fleur were waiting. Fleur rushed up and gave all Michelle, Antoinette and Claire hugs and kisses and spoke to them rapidly in French. Neville wished he could understand what they were going on about.

"Glad you could be here," Bill said, shaking Neville's hand strongly. He looked much the same as when Neville had last seen him, long hair and scared face. "Sorry about the security waits, but I guess it's what you get in these times."

"We thought we had seen the last of this place," George said. He was looking up at Hogwarts castle.

"Looks like we were just destined to rule this castle," the Fred replied. Bill grinned.

Neville continued inside the castle. Noise was coming from the dining hall and Neville followed the twins to find many people waiting in there, not just students and teachers but all sorts of people. Ron's parents were having a conversation with a middle-aged blond-haired pair, who Neville assumed to be the parents of the bride. Professor McGonagall was standing by conversing with a woman Neville had never seen before. Ginny Weasley was sitting with a blonde-haired girl Neville recognised to be Fleur's little sister. Neville also spotted Harry, Hermione and Ron sitting alone. Hermione looked up and waived at Neville, Ron beamed and Harry managed to produce a small smile.

Hermione waived him over and Neville was grateful to be outside the high expectations of the Weasley twins for a while.

"Happy Birthday, Neville," Hermione said getting up and giving him a hug. Neville blushed for the third time that day. He had always sort of admired Hermione. Ron gave him a bit of a look and wished him the same birthday greetings as well.

Harry got up and shook Neville's hand formally. "Happy Birthday," he said. Neville was shocked. Harry looked pretty much the same as he always had, but the way he was holding himself, and the look in his eyes, Harry was so old.

"Happy Birthday to you too," Neville replied.

They spend some time doing small talk. Hermione kept on asking how Neville's summer job was going until Neville ended up giving them a detailed description of how the _Mimbulus_ survived the storm. As soon as the storm was mentioned Harry seemed to pay closer attention, so Neville told him what happened, even though he was sure Lupin or Tonks must have already told.

"It was scary, but it was over quickly. If you can get into a building you're pretty much safe," Neville concluded. Hermione shook her head as if to agree. Ron seemed angry at the whole existence of the storm. But Harry seemed content to just sit there and listen.

People kept on arriving into the evening, when finally Hagrid, Tonks, Lupin, Charlie and Mad-Eye walked into the dining hall. Mad-Eye went up to Professor McGonagall and whispered a few words into her ear. Neville noticed that she gave a look to Arthur Weasley, who clanged his fork against a nearby glass.

"Friends, family. Thank you for making the trip, some of you have come very far and from safer places. It is much appreciated. I'm not going to bore you tonight, there will be plenty of speeches over the next few days I'm sure. I'll just say, happy birthday to Neville, who has come of age today." There was a big cheer and Tonks stared up a chorus of Happy Birthday, before dinner was served. Neville blushed the whole time.

---

Neville clambered into his old bed in his dorm room late at night. While Seamus and Dean were missing, the majority of the Gryffindor boys were there and Neville felt glad to be home. He slept sounder than he had in a long time.

That was until Lupin shook him awake.

"What's – what's going on?" Neville heard Ron asking in a half yawn.

"There's an Order meeting tonight. You three and Hermione have been invited," Lupin whispered. "Get dress quickly, and I'll meet you down in the common room in five minutes."

As Neville eyes adjusted to the light he saw Harry was sitting at the end of the bed wand in hand.

"What time is it?" Ron asked.

"Five past midnight," Lupin whispered before heading down the stairs.

"Happy Birthday, mate," Ron said, slapping Harry on the back.

---

Neville, Harry and Ron were down and dressed on time and met Tonks and Lupin who were waiting in the common room. "…and I'm telling you there is not a room in this castle that I've not been able to get in," Tonks was saying to Lupin.

"We're just waiting on Hermione," Lupin said when he saw the three boys, "and here she is now." Hermione appeared at the top of the girls' dormitory stairs.

Lupin and Tonks lead them down to the dining hall where the tables had been replaced with smaller ones arranged to make a circle, with an opening into the middle. The room was dimly lit by candle light, illuminating the paper on the desk and the people but causing long shadows to hand through the room. So this was it, Neville figured, the secret organisation that was fighting You-Know-Who.

Like gathering earlier, there was quite a mix of people sitting around the table. There were quite a few members of the Weasley family; Neville saw Ron's parents, Bill and Fleur, Charlie and the Twins. Professor McGonagall was there, sitting between Mad-Eye Moody and Hagrid. The Auror Neville had seen at the Weasley home, Kingsley, was there. There were also many people Neville had never met before, people of all ages, some closer to Tonks', others closer to Professor McGonagall's. It was quite an eclectic bunch.

Tonks directed them all to six empty seats between Charlie and Hagrid, Harry sat, flanked on either side by Hermione and Ron. Neville found himself sitting between Ron and Tonks.

"Good, everybody is here, we can start the meeting," Professor McGonagall announced. "As you can see we have four new recruits, Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley-" Neville saw Bill over the table placing a hand on his mother's shoulder, "-Neville Longbottom-" Tonks clapped Neville on the back. "-and Harry Potter."

McGonagall got out of her seat, and walked towards them. "Would you four please stand," she commanded.

Neville got out of his chair and stood along with the others.

"You do understand that by joining this organisation, you will be placing yourself in great personal danger, opening yourself up to attack by many fronts and could potentially make your loved ones targets of Voldemort's forces." Neville noticed a few people around the table flinch at You-Know-Who's name.

Neville felt his stomach lurch and his pulse start beating faster. "You now have to ask yourselves whether you wish to take this risk before we will let you continue. Now is the last point you may turn back."

There was a pause before Professor McGonagall continued. "Hermione Granger, do you wish to be a member of the Order of the Phoenix?"

Hermione looked down at the ground. It looked to Neville as if a tear fell down her cheek.

"I do," she said quietly.

"Harry Potter. Do you wish to be a member of the Order of the Phoenix?"

Harry stared straight at her. "I do," he bellowed.

"Ronald Weasley. Do you wish to be a member of the Order of the Phoenix?"

Ron looked over Professor McGonagall's shoulder. Neville looked too. Arthur Weasley had his arms around Molly Weasley, who looked to be crying in her husband's arms. Ron looked at Harry and then back to McGonagall.

"I do," he said, determinedly.

Professor McGonagall moved in front of Neville. Neville looked at Professor McGonagall, she looked more serious than Neville had ever thought she could, but she didn't seem to display any emotion. Neville also turned to Tonks. She had done this as well. She was staring at the table in front of her, her eyes in shadow.

Neville couldn't help but think that his parents would have once been in the same situation he was in. Neville was afraid, he did not want to die, he did not want to be a target and he really did not want to see his Gran targeted. But he had seen too much of this war to not fight back.

His parents were not afraid. And neither would he be.

"I do," Neville announced to the room.

Professor McGonagall placed a hand on his shoulder. Neville then noticed that she looked upset. Neville did not understand, why did they let him choose, if they did not want to him to join. She removed her hand and then walked back to take her seat.

The four of them sat back down, Neville noticed that Lupin now had his arm around Tonks. And Neville understood. He and Harry, Ron and Hermione, they were barely adults, and they had just pledged their lives away. It was not a glorious moment, but a sad one.

"Well, let's begin, Kingsley. I believe you have news from the Muggle government."

Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Auror from the battle at the Department of Mysteries, was apparently now acting as a liaison between the law enforcement of the Wizarding world and the law enforcement of the Muggle world. Tonks whispered to Neville that this was because Kingsley was the only wizard the Muggle Prime Minister trusted. He continued on for a while about how they could improve their working together, especially in the area of space photography and about information campaigns the Muggle government was now running to educate Muggles on the danger of "people dressed in black cloaks waiving around sticks."

Many people asked questions and made suggestions, including Hermione, Tonks and Lupin, but Neville didn't have anything to add. A brown haired woman begun talking about potions use in the war, Harry visibly flinched when this came up, but there was no specific mention of Snape in particular, just what a "skilled potions master" would be capable of doing. There was also a discussion on the use of the storm, with speculation on how much magic it would take to cause it and whether it could last longer and be permanently fixed. By the end, the only conclusion that they could draw is that they did not know anything and had better be prepared for the worst.

"On that subject, Minerva," Arthur Weasley began "How long can Hogwarts go without access to the outside world?"

"With the same numbers of student we had last year, about three years," McGonagall replied. "The house elves are currently working hard to get that up to five."

"Yer, but could a storm last that long?" Hagrid asked.

"It's not just storms, Hogwarts must prepare for a siege type situation," Lupin replied.

"The children would be trapped inside, wouldn't they?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"They may have to be for their own protection. If the rest of Britain has been taken, then there may be no place else for them to go," McGonagall replied.

"That doesn't matter." Everybody turned and stared at Harry, who had spoken for the first time. "If there is somebody already in Hogwarts who's working for Voldemort, it doesn't matter how long you have supplies for. Hogwarts isn't safe."

The room went briefly quiet with shock at Harry's statement. Neville couldn't believe that Harry thought that. Then Professor McGonagall spoke again. "Professor Snape can no longer enter the castle, Harry. Neither can Draco Malfoy."

"It doesn't have to be Professor Snape or Draco. It could be anyone, one of the Slytherins, the next defence teacher!" Harry replied loudly.

"Harry's right," Ron added. "There's a whole house full of students that could be working for Voldemort, until you get rid of them Hogwarts isn't safe."

Professor McGonagall stood up and announced in her most stubborn voice, "I think I know where this line of reasoning is going, Mr. Weasley, and I can assure you it has been discussed at some length, but it can come to nothing. Hogwarts cannot function without all four houses."

Neville did not think this would satisfy Harry and Ron.

"It's redundant anyway. House loyalties, blood status and the like mean nothing when there is polyjuice or Imperius," Tonks added quietly. "And we can't prepare against them."

"Which is not a good though, but one we should have to keep in mind. Though Mr. Potter has brought up an interesting point, I have yet to find a suitable defence teacher – at this rate the Ministry are going to have to find one," McGonagall added.

"Is there any way to get around the werewolf laws, Minerva?" Molly Weasley asked.

"No, they are quite clear. They forbid all werewolves from teaching anyone under the age of seventeen, or working at all a week before and a week after the full moon. It's not going to happen," Lupin replied.

"Surely the Wizengamot could repeal them if they wanted to," Hermione suggested.

"The Wizengamot is spending every moment on the war at the moment. I very much doubt you could get them to make a decision, and for that matter, we may not have the support for it," Arthur answered.

"You can't let them send another person from the Ministry," Ron said. "Umbridge was bloody awful."

"Though she was great fun," one of the Weasley twins replied.

"For you two maybe, but for the rest of us…I don't want a return to Ministry control of teaching positions any more than you do, but unless somebody with appropriate experience steps up, it may have to be that way," McGonagall replied. Of course she would not, Neville thought. Umbridge had nearly killed her.

Neville heard a groan to his right. It was coming from Tonks who was holding her head up by her hands by this point. "Can't Mad-Eye do it?" Hermione suggested.

"I'm already busy. All the new Aurors being sent into the field don't seem to be able to throw a curse. Somebody's got to take the time to teach them something," Mad-Eye replied.

"What about Bill, he knows tons about the Dark Arts?" Charlie suggested.

"Thanks, but I can't teach anymore than Remus can at the moment. If the Goblins at Gringott's didn't think they were above employment laws, then I would be out of a job myself," Bill replied.

"Then Tonks, she's an Auror, and she was the best in my year," Charlie continued.

Tonks groaned again. "I'm an awful teacher, just ask Neville."

Suddenly Neville felt every eye in the hall on him. It was very intimidating. "Um…Actually, she's better than Quirrell and Lockhart and Umbridge. And she's not evil like Snape and Barty Crouch," he replied truthfully. Tonks glared at him. "I'm sorry," Neville replied sheepishly to her, "but it's true."

"If Tonks were to teach at Hogwarts, can Remus stay here?" Hermione asked.

"Possibly," Lupin replied happily.

"There is no law governing against who Hogwarts teachers choose to have living in their quarters with them. So long as it isn't a student, nobody has ever minded before," Professor McGonagall said.

"The Ministry would probably be too busy to concern itself with such a minor matter," Mr Weasley added.

"There you are then, two defence teachers for the price of one," replied George.

"Except I can't teach anyone under seventeen," Lupin replied.

"And I don't want to teach," Tonks announced. Everybody seemed to look at her at once. "Look, I'm an Auror, I worked bloody hard to become an Auror and if I quit now, then I don't think they will ever hire me again. I'm sorry if that sounds selfish to you lot, but that's the position I'm in." Neville noticed that Lupin looked shocked at that announcement.

"And the position is cursed too," Harry announced.

"Oh, that's just a rumour," Mrs. Weasley dismissed.

"No. It's true." Harry answered curtly, "Voldemort wanted the job, but Dumbledore wouldn't give it to him, so Voldemort cursed the position. Dumbledore told me last year."

This was new information to Neville, and he suspected from the concerned look on the Headmistresses face that it was news to even her.

"I've never heard of being able to curse a job title," Bill eventually said.

"Nor I and if Professor Dumbledore was not able to lift it, then I'm not sure you will be able to do so despite your expertise, Bill, though I think you should have a look into it anyway," McGonagall replied.

"Does explain a lot," Mad-Eye Moody replied bitterly.

"Why would 'e do that?" Fleur asked. "It es just a teaching position."

"More than two generations of wizard and witches have never had a proper education in Defence against the Dark Arts," Fred replied.

"And they're being slaughtered by the few people that have," George added.

"Look," Tonks said, "I'll do it, but only if you can get it so I don't have to give up being an Auror and only for a year, and only if we can fix that curse."

"I'm sure I can reach an agreement with Gawain," Minerva replied.

"Who's teaching Potions and Transfiguration?" Hermione asked.

"Professor Slughorn has decided to remain at Hogwarts and will be acting head of house for Slytherin, and I will share transfiguration duties alongside my responsibilities as headmistress," McGonagall replied.

"Well, that matter is settled then," Remus replied.

Out of the corner of his eye Neville saw Tonks look to Remus with apprehension.


	13. Saving the World

**Chapter Thirteen – Saving the World**

**Author's Notes: **Thanks, as always, to Nathaniel, my beta. Also thank you to all of you that have been reviewing.

* * *

Next on the agenda seemed to be what Neville had noticed Tonks working on during her stay at her parents'. She stood up and produced the large piece of parchment that had once looked like nothing had been written on it, but now Neville could see a map of Britain with multicoloured dots on it.

Tonks seemed a little nervous as she began to talk. "As many of you probably know, Remus, Mad-Eye, Kingsley and myself have been spending our spare time correlating Ministry data in the hope of finding out where the Death Eaters are located…And after much deliberation, we concluded that we just don't know. The attacks are random in that they don't seem to radiate from anywhere."

"I showed a copy to Muggle specialists and they agree," added Kingsley.

Tonks nodded.

"Does the Ministry know this?" the woman who had been talking about potions asked.

"I've offered it to them," Mad-Eye announced.

"So we know nothing?" the woman asked again.

"It wasn't a waste of time, every Death Eater has their own, um, style," Tonks added. "We know what individual Death Eaters are doing, just not where they are operating from."

"How about Snape then?" Ron asked.

"Snape we don't know about, he's a potions expert so he's probably brewing potions and he's only been active for a few months," Tonks replied.

"Then what about Draco Malfoy?" asked Harry.

"We have the same problem with Draco. He's not been active enough and we have no eye witness accounts of his involvement."

"Fenrir Greyback," came a woman's voice from the other side of the room. It was Fleur but she sounded far more bitter than usual.

Tonks glanced at Lupin and then to Neville and then tapped the map with her wand. Many of the dots disappeared leaving only a few and Neville noticed one of them as sitting in Lancashire where his home was. That was him, that red spot.

"Our fears about the use of wolfsbane potion have so far not come true. However, that does not mean that they will not," Remus added from his spot in the circle.

"'Ow could the potion make him worse?" asked Fleur. Neville wondered about that too, wolfsbane was supposed to make werewolves less dangerous.

"It'd make him smarter," replied Tonks.

"But we know he's working for Voldemort at the moment, not alongside Voldemort since he has been attacking adult targets and not children," Remus added.

_Like me,_ thought Neville.

"Anyone else we want to discuss?" Tonks asked.

Neville took a long look at the map and the dot over his home, near to where his parent's cottage had been. "Bellatrix Lestrange," he mumbled.

Tonks glanced at him and tapped the map again, only six dots showed up scattered in the Northern part of the England.

Neville felt Hermione's eyes on him before she put her hand up. "What does that mean?"

"We think Bellatrix Lestrange is keeping low and is targeting a specific group," Tonks said quietly.

"Who?" Neville asked.

"Middle-aged married couples who keep to themselves. So far they have all been Muggles," Tonks replied, looking directly at him. Neville realised he knew a middle-aged married couple who kept to themselves.

"The data will be available to everyone if you ask," Tonks quickly added before sitting down.

The rest of the meeting continued on a debate of where the Death Eaters could be hiding, and then the twins led a discussion on the Order's finances that most people were not interested in. It dragged on for a while and Neville was starting to fall asleep towards the end. Eventually Professor McGonagall closed the meeting, despite mentioning that they had not covered all she wished to discuss.

Neville, Ron, Harry and Hermione all headed to the Gryffindor dormitory without saying a word. Neville climbed into bed and was so tired he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow

---

Tonks looked miserable at breakfast. Nobody else was around, just her and him. Neville had become an early riser out of habit and Tonks seemed to be the same. Still, Harry and Ron were gone when Neville did wake, which lead Neville to wonder if Harry slept at all these days.

"I'm sorry for saying you'll be a good teacher," Neville said as he sat down next to her, hoping that it wasn't his actions the night before that had made her miserable again.

"It's not that," Tonks replied, pouring herself another glass of pumpkin juice. "Nothing was achieved last night, was it?"

Neville couldn't think of anything other than Tonks being Defence teacher that had been. "No," he replied.

"I just feel like one of those storms is bearing down on us all and all we're doing to stop it is throwing sticks."

"It's not that bad, is it?" Neville questioned.

"Dumbledore's gone, the Order's getting nowhere, we've got nobody on the inside. We don't have a clue what You-Know-Who is up to, do we? All we can do is speculate. Snape's really done a number on us," she added bitterly.

Neville thought about this for a while. "Well, when you put it that way, it is like throwing sticks, isn't it?"

They sat there for a moment before Neville turned the conversation to what she had said the night before.

"Is Bellatrix Lestrange hunting your parents?"

"Don't worry about it," she replied.

Bellatrix Lestrange was not somebody Neville was not going to worry about and he was about to tell Tonks that when she continued. "It's the Demeter Willows thing. According to all records Demeter is an old Muggle woman who lives alone."

"Okay," Neville replied, unsure.

"I would have them out of that house in a heartbeat if I thought they were any more at risk then the rest of the population, Neville. Trust me," she said earnestly.

"Okay," Neville replied with more confidence.

Tonks opened her mouth to say something else, when Ginny sat down across from them. "Where's Lupin?" she asked.

"Gone off in search of Harry," Tonks replied.

"Oh, he'll be in the library. Hermione said that having the wedding at Hogwarts meant they could get a ton of work done," Ginny replied.

"You don't know what Harry's up to, do you?" Tonks asked curiously.

Ginny shock her head. "He doesn't talk to me these days. Only to Ron and Hermione and he's sworn them to secrecy," she said miserably.

They all sat in silence for a while eating breakfast, before Charlie Weasley sat down next to Ginny. "Cheer up, you lot! And that's a threat, I'll set Fred on George on you if I don't see all three of you smile in the next minute."

Neville forced a smile, followed by Ginny and Tonks. "Harry and Ron are going to get their apparition licence today. You going to go?" Charlie questioned.

Neville hadn't given any thought to getting his apparation licence. Charlie happily questioning had just placed quite a bit of pressure on him. "I haven't practiced," Neville replied. He hadn't given much thought to the fact that he had turned seventeen. There had been so little fanfare he had actually managed to forget that he was an adult. It suddenly occurred to him that he could use magic whenever he wanted to.

"You seemed pretty good at it to me," Tonks replied.

"That was one of the few times I made it work," Neville replied. "I'm really no good."

Tonks smiled. "Once you can do it under pressure, you can do it anywhere. You'll be fine," she replied, really smiling for the first time that morning.

Neville had not told anyone about his mother helping him and so kept quiet.

"It doesn't matter if you fail first time. Charlie did," Ginny said, looking cheekily at her older brother.

"I wouldn't criticise until you've got yours. And it was all her fault," Charlie pointed at Tonks. "She was pulling faces from behind the examiner," he replied with a tone of mock bitterness.

Tonks started laughing. "I forgot about that. And it was all your fault. You started it."

Tonks ended up telling the story, much to Ginny's delight, since apparently Charlie had not revealed this to her. Neville wasn't really listening. He was focusing too much on getting his apparation licence. It would be helpful and he would be able to travel around much easier.

"I think I'll give it a try," he finally concluded, which fell on deaf ears since Charlie and Tonks were now arguing over a Quidditch match.

"…That move was legal, and it wasn't as if I could hit you, you're a bloody tank," Tonks was protesting.

"Hello Neville, hello Ginny," Lupin's voice came from behind Neville.

Neville saw Tonks stand up and give Lupin a kiss on the cheek. "Did you find Harry?" she asked.

Neville got up and headed to the dormitory. He didn't know what to think anymore. He got out of the dining hall doorway and walked straight into Ron. Neville fell backwards onto the floor.

"Whoa, watch it mate!" Ron put out a hand and helped pull Neville off the floor. Hermione and Harry were standing behind him, Hermione with a look of concern on her face. "You coming to get your apparation licence?" Ron asked.

"Yeah," Neville replied.

"Good, we're leaving in half an hour."

---

Neville met Harry, Hermione and Ron in the entrance hall some minutes later. Bill, Mad-Eye, Mr. Weasley and Hagrid were also there. They walked outside, where carriages were waiting, and spent the rest of the journey with neither Harry nor Neville speaking a word. Neville was tired and worried and did not feel much like talking, and Harry seemed to be content staring out of the window.

They arrived in Hogsmeade, which was emptier than Neville remembered it. The attacks and the storms must have had everyone scared to go out on the streets. They stopped outside the Hog's Head tavern and followed Arthur Weasley upstairs into a small room. Hagrid and Bill, however, did not. They headed for a room down the hall where the small man, who Neville remembered had taught them how to apparate in at Hogwarts so long ago, was waiting for them.

"I have to say it is highly unusual and against procedure to have a test closed to the general public. I do understand given the people involved, but I have to warn you all that I might not be able to repeat these circumstances." Neville felt queasy, that meant that they had one chance to do this without failing.

"Now follow me," the examiner continued. They all marched down the hallway and had a look at their destination. There was a big white circle on the floor, similar to the cross in the other room. After two minutes of looking around, they all headed back, leaving Hermione behind to watch.

"Mr. Weasley, since this is your second time, you may show them what procedure is followed and go first." Ron looked pale, his freckles shining out more than usual; he stepped forward to the white cross marking the floor.

"Would you please apparate into the room down the hall," the tester said.

Ron looked at Harry and then Neville and waived his wand in the air. He vanished. Neville looked at the ground where Ron had been standing, it did not seem like he had left any part of him behind.

"If you would please wait here, Mr. Potter and Mr. Longbottom." The tester left the room. Mr. Weasley kept on looking out the door to see when he was coming back, but Harry, Neville and Mad-Eye stood in silence. Neville could feel his heart beat in his chest.

The tester returned. "Mr. Longbottom, would you please do the same."

"Wait," Mr Weasley interrupted. "Are you going to tell us how Ron did."

"He passed," the tester replied. Mr. Weasley smiled. Neville was grateful for the quick moment when attention was not on him.

Neville stepped onto the white cross and felt his heart beating even more violently. _You can do this,_ he told himself. He thought back to the hallway, the Dementor placing its mouth closer and closer to his and then he looked around the room, to a safe place surrounded by people he knew and he felt calmer. If he could do it then, he really could do it anywhere.

Destination. Determination. Deliberation. Neville pictured the small room with the white circle. Neville closed his eyes and raised his wand.

Neville felt like he was being dragged through a tube too small for his body, but the sensation did not last long. He opened his eyes and there were Ron, Bill, Hermione and Hagrid, looking on.

"Am I all in one piece?" Neville asked. He could not see himself, but he felt whole.

Bill nodded. "From what I can see. Well done."

Neville felt incredibly relieved. The examiner arrived quickly and gave Neville a looking over.

"Good, though try not to close your eyes. Your licence will be in the mail this afternoon," the examiner announced and left the room.

"How are you so good at apparating?" Ron asked astounded. "I mean, you escaped Dementors that way and everything."

Neville shrugged. "I think my mum was good at it," he replied moving off the circle out of Harry's way.

Harry managed reasonably well, allowing all three boys to legally apparte anywhere in the world if they ever wanted to. That was except the place they came from, Hogwarts, and all found themselves cramped in a carriage on the way back. Neville suddenly felt very tired, the late night meeting was catching up with him.

They all climbed out, and while Ron told the news to his mum and the crowd of his family that had been waiting for him, both Neville and Harry ended up heading to the Gryffindor corridor.

The Fat Lady let them in without a password, she had been letting anyone wander in and out, saying it wasn't her job since it was holidays. Neville clambered into bed and got some much needed sleep.

---

Neville awoke and Harry was gone. Putting his good clothes on, he headed downstairs to find that activity was once again taking place in the dining hall. Hermione, Mrs. Weasley, Fred and George were decorating the hallway, Bill and Charlie were over in a corner talking, and Ginny, Gabrielle, Michele, Antoinette and Clair were all crowded around Tonks who was putting on a show for them, smiling and laughing, she seemed much happier then he had ever previously seen her.

"Hey, just a sec, I have to talk to Nev," Neville heard Tonks say.

He turned around and Tonks had a very long pointed noise with long nostrils that made her look like she had a beak. Ginny was standing besides her smiling.

"How do I look?" she asked, putting her hands behind her head and sticking a pose.

"You look ridiculous," Neville replied, he didn't laugh but he was forced to smile at her.

"I've been doing my impression of Pinocchio," she replied cracking out in a big smile. "Anyway, congrats on your apparation licence. Though I never had any doubts." She smiled and wrapped her arms around him giving him a hug, accidentally poking him in the ear with her noise in the process.

"Thanks," Neville replied.

She pulled her arms off him, "I'd better get back to my public. Hey, if I don't make as a Auror, at least I'll always have a career as a circus performer to fall back on." She headed off towards the crowd of girls

"Well done," Ginny said, giving Neville a hug before following Tonks.

Neville found himself blushing. He did wonder how Harry could break it off with Ginny since Neville had always though she was wonderful. Deciding not to dwell on the romantic entanglements of his friends, Neville headed off towards Hermione.

Neville spent the rest of the afternoon hanging white wedding decorations. Eventually, everyone gathered again and a gigantic birthday spread was served, with a big chocolate cake that had 'Happy Birthday, Harry!' written all over it.

Harry himself didn't seem too happy with the festivities. He smiled and thanked everyone when they received gifts. Still, he seemed so old to Neville.

Neville did not really know the Weasley family too well and Harry, Ron and Hermione had closed in on themselves again, so Neville found he didn't have anyone to talk to. He decided to head back to the common room. As he stepped out of the dining hall, he came across Tonks and the woman discussing something in the hallway.

"…his work is brilliant, Tonks, you have to talk him into working for the Ministry," the woman was saying.

"That's not really…" Tonks suddenly noticed Neville, and she gave him a look with her eyes pleading for him to come over. "…Dad's thing anymore." Neville began to wander over.

"Yes, but we need skills, how on earth do you expect us to make any progress against the Imperius curse if half the wizarding world refuse to work on the problem," the woman replied.

"Well, I told you, Dad doesn't work with the Unforgivables…Ah! Neville! Have you meet Victoria, she's an Unspeakable with the Department of Mysteries," Tonks grabbed Neville by the arm and pulled him over. "I owe you," she whispered in his ear as she did so.

"Hi," Neville said, putting out his hand.

"Hello," Victoria replied.

"Kingsley!" Tonks suddenly cried. "I'm sorry, I have an important matter to discuss with Kingsley," she said rushing off.

Neville ended up having to spend a very uncomfortable two minutes not really saying anything to Victoria, who turned out to be a potions expert for the Ministry. They mutually wandered away from each other and eventually Neville found himself alone in the Gryffindor common room.

Neville settled down in front of the fireplace and started writing a letter to Luna, detailing the apparition licence exam. He didn't think he could really tell her anything else.

Soon the portrait hole swung open and Harry walked in.

"Hello," Neville said, not moving from his comfy spot on the floor.

Harry sat down on the chair next to him. "Who are you writing to?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Luna. She's been writing to me every day this summer," Neville replied, happy that Harry was talking to him like he would have done years ago and that Harry was talking at all.

"I couldn't invite Luna," Harry said regretfully. "I wanted too, but only people invited to the wedding and members of the Order were allowed to come."

"Yeah, I figured," Neville replied. "I don't think she minded, I mean it's Luna." Neville knew Luna would be a little bothered, not that she would let anyone notice this, but he did not want Harry to feel guilty.

"Yeah," Harry replied half-heartedly.

"Look, Neville, there's something I should tell you," Harry suddenly said.

Neville looked up at Harry, he looked tired and was staring at the fire. "What?" Neville asked. Harry had been so secretive lately, Neville really had no idea what it could possibly be, but he was very curious to know.

Harry paused. He seemed to be thinking how he should say it. The portrait hole opened and Ginny stepped in. "Hi Neville. Hi Harry," she said. They both replied with a greeting before Ginny headed up to the girls' dormitory. Harry watched her sadly the entire time, longing in his eyes.

"It's not that important," Harry finally said once Ginny had left. "It doesn't matter," he jumped out of his chair and headed to the boys' dormitory.

"Okay," Neville replied. Harry's behaviour perplexed Neville. He grabbed the quill he was using and told Luna that Harry was doing as well as he could under the circumstances.


	14. Hope

**Chapter Fourteen – Hope**

**Author's Notes: **Thank you very much to my beta Nathaniel and all of you that are reading.

* * *

"Ron!"

Neville awoke to a familiar voice yelling rather loudly at the sleeping red-head in the bed next to his.

"Ron! Wake up!"

"Who?…What?" Ron managed to mumble.

Neville turned over, trying to put his back to Charlie's calls, hoping it would drown out the noise and he would be able to sleep once again. Neville was an early riser these days but there was still no sun, it was far too early to be up.

"Get up. You have to go out and do your duty to the family," Charlie insisted.

"What?" Ron mumbled again.

"Bill can't go since he's the groom. And I can't go; I'm the best man, I've got to get Bill to the altar. Mum won' let us send Fred and George for fear of bodily injury: to him not them. And Ginny can't apparate, so the duty falls to you. Believe me you were the last choice. Today you do your duty to your family and become a man."

"What duty?" Ron replied, sounding more awake. Neville heard Ron pull the bed covers. It was too late for himself, Neville decided; he was now wide awake.

"To go kidnap Percy, of course. Somebody's got to get that prick to show up," Charlie continued.

"Oh…okay," Ron finally muttered.

"Great. Tonks, Kingsley and Mad-Eye are waiting." Charlie left the room, and Neville continued to lie in bed while Ron put on some clothes. Once Ron left, Neville did the same - noticing that Harry was missing from the dorm - and headed down to the dining hall to see if anyone had put out any breakfast.

Instead of finding the great hall deserted like he had expected, it was bustling with life. Everybody was up, all eating breakfast. Neville spotted a place next to Lupin and sat down.

"Does everybody get up this early on wedding days?" he asked.

Lupin smiled and topped up his cup of tea. "Well, the girls have to be up, on orders from Fleur, to get their hair done. And the Weasley family has already had one argument over Percy that involved waking the whole family up and I suspect all the rest of us managed to get caught in the crossfire."

"That's me," Neville muttered.

"It's going to be a brilliant day," Fred said sitting down opposite Lupin and grabbing a piece of toast.

"For men that is; Bill's finally been taken of the market," George clarified sitting down next to Neville.

"You two seem to be spending a lot of your time preoccupied by women lately," Lupin said, smiling.

"Well, what do you expect, we've done everything else," Fred replied.

"Money, fame, stunning good looks, wealth, notoriety," George replied, holding up his hand and ticking the list off with his fingers.

"But strangely enough, if you tell a girl you're the fabulously wealthy, very eligible bachelor who just happens to be one of the minds behind 'U-No-Poo' products, then she runs a mile," Fred continued.

"As if anyone would want to harm us," George replied, trying to look innocent.

They continued on like this for a while, until Mrs Weasley came round to their table and assigned them all tasks. Neville was placed in charge of seating, and a piece of parchment with a diagram on it was entrusted to him. He spent a good two hours moving furniture around until all the seats were entirely straight and parallel, only to have Ginny come down and tell him that they had measured the width of Fleur's train wrong and if he could please widen the isle. She apologised profusely the whole time.

Eventually, Neville heard the doors to the Great Hall swing open, and three Aurors and two Weasleys arrived, soaked head to foot and covered from the knees down in mud.

"At least Scotland is backing me up on no outdoor weddings," Tonks was saying to Percy Weasley, who was wearing what looked to Neville like his finest dress robes and a miserable and annoyed expression on his face.

"Oh, cheer up," said Mad-Eye, who looked even more bedraggled than normal, slapping Percy on the back. Percy's glasses slipped down his face and onto the floor, adding to the misery.

As soon as Neville was done with the chairs and quite happy to never use another levitating charm in his life, he headed up to the boys' dormitory. Getting dressed in his dress robes, Neville's mind fell back to the Yule Ball in his fourth year. Neville was taller, so were Harry and Ron getting dressed next to him - and Ron's dress robes were now from the same century - and of course Seamus and Dean were missing; but it seemed like so little had changed. An odd feeling considering so much had.

Neville arrived down at the hall; many of the girls were still missing, but many of the men were there, dressed up to the finest. Neville found a seat next to Lupin, who was dressed in a particularly old set of dress robes that were slightly moth-eaten and a rather horrible brown colour.

The hall was decorated in gold and white, white banners lined the walls, replacing the usual house banners that would be present at the end of the year, bringing life to the wooden rafters. Gold fabric lined the aisle marking out the path for the bride. White roses and lilies were everywhere, but the biggest bunch sat in vases by the altar, which stood where the high table would normally be.

But most beautifully in Neville's mind was the roof. In contrast to the rain and wind outside the school a warm summer's day shone down on them, clouds passed overhead but never blocked out the sun: the sunlight lifting sprits and bringing hope and, for the first time since the storm, unaccompanied with fear and dread.

Charlie emerged, walking down the aisle with Tonks in tow, who had paid heed to Fleur's wishes and not only had quite normal looking long wavy brown hair, but was wearing green dress robes, causing her to have a resemblance to her mother.

Charlie seemed to have picked up on the resemblance as well. "Don't look now," he said loudly to the hall, a malicious grin on his face, "but Tonks looks like her mother."

Tonks turned pink. "Oh, sod off," she said, elbowing him in the ribs.

"Ow." Charlie pretended to limp the rest of the way to the front of the aisle. Tonks took a seat on the other side of Lupin.

Hermione, Ron and Harry arrived, sitting in front of Neville, who thought Hermione looked very pretty dressed in blue. Following them was Bill. Even with all the scars that lined Bill's face, Neville still had the impression that Bill was the most handsome man in the room. He stood by the altar, glancing to the door every few seconds.

Then Fleur's three friends from France arrived, giggling, and out of nowhere music filled the hall. Gabrielle emerged, followed by Ginny, both wearing gold dresses and having small daisies woven through their hair. Then Fleur arrived, accompanied by her father. Fleur was by far the most beautiful girl Neville had ever met, but dressed in the white dress and beaming at her fiancé, who himself staring in awe at her from down the aisle, she had managed to surpass even herself.

---

Bill and Fleur recounted how much they loved each other in front of the whole world, exchanged rings and a kiss, and Professor McGonagall pronounced them man and wife. Mrs Weasley and Mrs Delacour both cried quite a bit, and so did Fleur towards the end.

In not much time, Neville's handwork was undone, and small tables were put in place with one of the finest feasts Neville had ever seen at Hogwarts lying in front of them all.

Speeches were given, and Fleur's friend Michelle told everyone at the hall how Fleur had returned from Hogwarts after the Tri-Wizard Tournament with only one goal in mind: to get a job at Gringott's. Charlie had a similar speech to give, recounting how when he was Bill Weasley's little brother at Hogwarts, every girl tried to befriend him in order to get him to recommend them to Bill, Neville noticed he looked specifically at Tonks during this, who glared back at Charlie.

Once the guests had gorged themselves on elven-made wine and soufflé, people began moving around. Neville found himself sitting with Lupin, Harry, Ron and Percy when the music became louder, and Fleur and Bill took to the dance floor. Together they looked like a happy ending; the beautiful couple dancing as one, surrounded by friends and family. Then Fleur's parents joined the dance floor, followed by Mr and Mrs Weasley.

"Do it," Neville overheard Harry whisper to Ron.

"Are you sure?" replied Ron, who looked very nervous. The colour had drained from his face.

"Yes…go…or you're an idiot," Harry hissed, putting hand on his friends shoulder and pushing Ron up off the chair.

The whole table watched as Ron walked over to the other end of the room where Hermione was talking with Ginny and Tonks. He put out a hand, and Hermione, who looked shocked, got up and together they headed for the dance floor.

"Are you going to ask Ginny?" Lupin asked Harry. His eyes had not followed Ron and Hermione to the dance floor. They remained fixed on Ginny, who looked particularly stunning the evening.

"No," he replied. Neville knew Harry wanted to; probably everyone knew Harry wanted to.

Lupin looked like he was going to say something else, but decided against it and did not push the issue. Tonks wandered over shortly thereafter and sat down in Ron's empty seat, leaning over and resting her head on Lupin's shoulder.

"They look cute," she said, referring to Ron and Hermione, who were dancing awkwardly. Ron seemed to be having difficulties deciding how to hold Hermione, whether to hold her closely or keep her at arm's length.

"They do," Lupin replied, kissing her head.

"Would you like to dance?" Tonks asked, having moving her head so she could look Lupin in the eyes.

"I would, but I'll end up breaking all your toes, and then I don't think you'll like me anymore," he commented.

"I can't dance either…not like this anyway, and head banging would look ridiculous to this music. And I'll let you in on a secret – I'm wearing my work boots underneath this skirt. They've got steel caps." She smiled, got up and led Lupin by the hand onto the dance floor.

Antoinette also wandered over to their table. Neville thought for a minute that he might have to dance with her. He would embarrass himself by being awful at it. He breathed a sigh of relief when she chose Percy instead. The twins, true to their current aims in life were dancing with Michelle and Claire, and Ginny was having fun dancing with Charlie. Even Gabrielle managed to find a partner, dancing with Kingsley Shacklebolt.

Neville was happy watching the couples dancing around the floor, from the graceful movements of Fleur and Bill waltzing in time to the music to the lunacies of Fred, George and Charlie who were spinning their partners and dipping them around the hall. From the familiarity of Mr and Mrs Weasley, holding each other tightly and staring in each others eyes to the new of Ron and Hermione, who would stare at each other in the eyes for a few seconds and then awkwardly finding something else in the room to stare at. From the polite by-the-numbers dancing of Percy and Antoinette to the blatant longing of Lupin and Tonks, who were not dancing at all, but standing on the dance floor, arms wrapped around each other, faces buried hidden in each other, seemingly enjoying one of the few times they were together.

"I'm going to go to the library," Harry announced, drawing Neville out of his trance. "If anyone wants me, that's where I'll be."

Harry got up, hiding his face from Neville. His right hand was clenched in a fist. Sensing something was not wrong and knowing that Ron and Hermione were not around, Neville got up and followed Harry out of the hall.

Neville waited for the doors to swing closed on the party before making a sound. "Are you all right?" he asked, feeling silly for asking the question. Of course he was not all right. He was Harry Potter, the Chosen One, living in a state of self-exile, the whole world resting on his barely grown-up shoulders.

Harry turned around, his eyes red. "People in that room are going to die, and I'm not going to be able to save them."

Neville couldn't think of anything to say in response to Harry's statement. He knew it to be true. "Voldemort's going to rip those people apart. More children will be like you and me, orphans to another war. It's happening every day, and I can't stop it!" he cried, tears running down his face.

"I can't," Harry continued, his voice now quieter. "I know what to do, what to look for but I need time and I don't have it, and every day more and more people are dying and it's because I don't have time."

Neville didn't know what to do, Harry was right, and there was nothing Neville could do to reassure him that it wasn't happening. Death and destruction was occurring by the day, and Britain was moving closer and closer to chaos, and all the beautiful, isolated weddings in all the world could not make that go away. Neville knew this and so he stood there not knowing what he could say to help Harry.

"I've been doing a lot of research. Every time we get rid of one, another madman rises up or another war begins, and another generation is scared," Harry continued, sitting down on the stairs, holding his head in his hand, blocking any tears.

Neville sat down next to him and put a hand on his shoulder, hoping that his presence will bring Harry some needed relief. "Even if I succeed, it will just start again in another twenty years or so. And then what do we do. One day they are going to win. What am I supposed to do?"

"You do what we've already done twice in my lifetime." Professor McGonagall appeared from behind them, Neville and Harry both craned their heads looking up at the Headmistress. Harry's face was puffy and red. McGonagall looked as stern and fierce as ever.

"You try to work out what went wrong. And then you try and start anew with changes so it will never happen again…as futile as it sounds it is the only thing we ever can do, Harry. And we do it each and every time in the hope that it will never happen again." There was a steely determination in the headmistress's gaze. Neville suddenly had the urge to ask her if she had lost someone in one of the wars, but part of him already knew she had.

"Come with me, Harry. There are some biscuits in the headmaster's office," McGonagall said.

Harry rubbed his eyes with the sleeve of his dress robes and got up off the step. "No…I think I will just go to bed," he replied calmly.

Neville and Professor McGonagall watched Harry walk up the steps in silence. "Professor," Neville asked when Harry was no longer in sight, "do you think…is Harry going to be all right?"

McGonagall looked down at him. "You're a good friend, Mr Longbottom. I think that Harry Potter needs those right now, whether he knows it or not…and I'm not sure," she replied, before heading back up the stairs.

Neville got up and headed back into the hall. People were still dancing, as if nothing had happened, the music having droned out any shouting. Neville sat down and thought about what Professor McGonagall had said and what Harry had said. Maybe there was no end. Maybe the hate would never stop. Neville watched the dancers again. For one of them, maybe more, it might be the last time they were happy.

---

The next morning everybody packed up their clothes and began to empty out the castle. Harry, Hermione and Ron were some of the first gone, to where Neville did not know, but they were gone before breakfast.

Neville sat next to Lupin and Tonks again, who both were in a pleasant, smiling mood that morning. Tonks' long hair was now gone; replaced with lime green and purple spikes.

"So, now that I'm a member of the Order," Neville asked, "what do I do?"

"Do what you normally do," Lupin replied, "I don't think you're going to be sent on missions, not until you finish school anyway."

"But why make me a member now if I can't do anything?" Neville asked, wondering why on earth they had bothered with inviting him to a meeting if they weren't going to let him do anything.

Tonks seemed she like she wanted to reply, but had a rather large mouthful of toast, so Lupin did instead. "Because if you're in trouble, or if you have any information, or you have any questions, you can come to us."

"Plus you have a knack for being in the middle of the action," Tonks added, having swallowed. She looked thoughtful for a second. "Actually I have a mission for you - keep an eye on my parents. Make sure they don't do anything to attract attention to themselves, okay?"

Neville agreed and went to pack his bags. Bill and Fleur were wishing all the guests goodbye as Neville went to leave. Bill thanked Neville, and Fleur gave him a kiss on the cheek, causing Neville to blush again. He headed outside and climbed into a coach, then apparated away from Hogsmeade station.

Neville arrived outside Andromeda and Ted's front door, patting himself down to make sure had hadn't splinched himself. He may have managed to pass his apparation test, but Neville still was not all that confident about his own ability.

After Neville rang the doorbell, Ted opened the door with a puzzled expression on his face.

"How did you get there?"

Neville began explaining about how he had gone to Hogsmeade and got his apparition licence as he walked into the lounge with his bags, when he noticed small pile of presents sitting on the couch, next to where Andromeda was sitting.

"Happy Birthday, Neville," Ted said with a big grin on his face.

Neville was stunned, he wasn't really expecting much fuss for his birthday, especially since it had been and gone. "I-I wasn't really expecting much," Neville replied, moved that they cared.

"We couldn't help ourselves, I'm afraid," Andromeda replied, smiling. "Ted cooked, and Nymphadora and Remus agreed to come around for dinner. It's just a small thing. We thought it would be nice."

Neville could not help but smile.


	15. Loyal

**Chapter Fifteen – Loyal**

**Author's Notes: **Thank you to my wonderful beta Nathaniel. Thanks to those reading.

* * *

Neville's seventeenth birthday celebration was everything that Ted's birthday should have been. Ted produced a bottle of Muggle champagne, and they all toasted Neville's entry into adulthood. The five guests seemed to enjoy each other's company; Andromeda even seemed to be treating Lupin well.

Towards the end, Ted produced a big box wrapped in orange paper. Carefully he placed the box on the table in front of Neville. "Open it," he urged.

From the way Ted had carried the box, Neville had guessed it was a plant inside. Neville carefully tore into the box. A small seedling sat in a pot full of soil; he recognised it instantly.

"You did it!" he exclaimed. If it was what he thought it was, he could not believe Andromeda and Ted had actually pulled it of.

Andromeda beamed proudly. "It's one of the first, and it's yours."

"You did what?" Tonks asked. Both she and Lupin looking at the small plant with puzzled expressions.

"It's a Whomping Willow," Neville replied, "one that can recognise people."

"Wait, you actually did it. You can sell it? It works?" The meaning of the gift dawned on Tonks. A huge smile crossed her face. "I can't believe it!"

"It's my ticket to a bigger greenhouse," Andromeda added, still smiling. "It's only taken twenty-five years, but I think our dreams might start coming true."

Ted ran into the kitchen and produced another bottle of champagne and a fistful of glasses. "To Demeter Willows's patented Protection Willows," he announced as they all clinked their glasses.

Neville went back to opening presents. Tonks and Lupin had brought him a nice pair of dragon-hide gloves for use in the garden. They were of good quality, too.

"There's a whole pile sitting in your room. Go fetch them down." Neville ran up and grabbed the pile of boxes sitting on his bed. There were lots of sweets, some from Harry, Hermione and Ron. Luna had sent him an odd necklace with what looked to be a stuffed rabbit's ear on it, with a note saying it was a Muggle thing for luck.

"It's supposed to be a lucky rabbit's foot," Ted, the authority on all things Muggle told Neville. "At least her heart's in the right place."

Finally he came across a small box with a card attached to it. Neville recognised his Gran's handwriting wishing him a happy birthday. Neville made a mental note to go and visit her now he had his apparition licence. He unwrapped the red paper, and inside was a small jewellery box. Contained in it was a ring, the band made of many small bands of gold entwined together, opening up to hold a ruby in place. "It's beautiful," Andromeda exclaimed. A note, also written in his Gran's handwriting, accompanied it.

_This ring has been in the Longbottom family since the days of Godric Gryffindor. Your Grandfather gave this ring to me, and your father gave this ring to your mother, and now it is yours to one day give to a woman whom you choose._

Neville stared at the ring for a while, and the room went quiet. The ring pulled him back into reality. Birthdays were all well and fine, but he had larger problems.

"I think I'm going to go to my room," Neville whispered.

Andromeda nodded, and Neville felt four pairs of eyes on him as he took the small box to his room. He stared at it for a while before deciding to go to sleep. The burden of his father had now flowed onto him, he realised. The Longbottom legacy was in his hands and so far they were not doing very well.

---

Tonks and Lupin were still there the next morning; they were both sitting and eating breakfast with Andromeda and Ted when Neville came downstairs for food. It was not surprising since the latest safety tip the Ministry was promoting over the wireless was never to return to an empty house at night. Tonks was busy reading a letter and had an odd expression on her face when he sat down next to her. She smiled at him kindly enough but then seemed to be slightly uncomfortable when she caught his eyes. Lupin seemed to have noticed it too, he looked rather concerned.

"I have to go to work," she announced quickly after putting the letter down.

"I thought you weren't starting again until tonight," Andromeda asked.

"No, there's something I have to do urgently," Tonks replied; she seemed to be very stressed all of a sudden. Ted and Andromeda were watching her now, as she got up and gave them a hug in turn. "Bye," she said as she walked out the room.

"Thank you for your hospitality," Lupin added, following her. Ted and Andromeda looked at each other, both perplexed. Neville wondered what was in the letter.

"Oh, there are two letters here for you," Ted said as Neville sat down.

The first was a long overdue progress report from Lydia.

_Mr. Longbottom,_

_With the awful death of Marius Savage, I have managed to get your file in the process of being declassified. In fact, if no other person working for the Ministry makes a formal complaint about the file becoming declassified by midday, then you will have your file. Of course I've done my best to keep this whole affair as discreet as possible to prevent anyone at the Ministry catching on._

_Yours,_

_Lydia_

Neville did not know how to react to this information. He had been waiting a long time now, but he still felt bad about profiting from Marius Savage's death, especially since Tonks had been so upset by it.

He prised open the next envelope and discovered to his horror that it was from St. Mungo's.

_Dear Mr. Longbottom,_

_It is very important that you meet with me in the next few days. Drop in at your next convenience. Please come to St. Mungo's and mention your name to the welcome witch and she will take care of you._

_Yours Sincerely, _

_Glorafilia Kensington, Head Healer, St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries_

Something was wrong with his parents. All the blood seemed to drain from Neville's face as all the possibilities of what could have gone wrong or what could have occurred to them flowed through his imagination.

He jumped up from the table, still clutching the letter. "What's wrong?" Andromeda asked, concern on her face once more.

"I have to go to St. Mungo's. It's urgent," Neville replied, grabbing the other letter, not wanting to leave it lying around.

"Is your Gran alright?" Ted asked.

"Yeah. I think so - I think it's my parents," Neville replied.

A look of horror crossed both Andromeda and Ted's faces. "By all means, go," Andromeda replied.

"Do you want us to go with you?" Ted asked.

"No, I'll be fine," Neville replied, rushing upstairs to put some clothes on.

"What on earth is going on today?" Neville heard Ted ask as he left the room.

---

Within an hour Neville arrived in the lobby of St. Mungo's. Thankfully he did not splinch himself in his haste; though he was in the right place should he do so.

"I'm Neville Longbottom… Glorafilia Kensington wished to see me," he said anxiously to the welcome witch. She started flipping though some papers and after an excruciating time she nodded.

"Follow the corridor, take the first right, and then the third left," she replied, indicating the corridor behind the help desk.

Neville followed her instructions exactly and arrived at a brown wooden door with 'Glorafilia Kensington' written on it in purple letters. He gave it a knock, and the door swung open.

"Come in," a grey haired woman sitting behind a desk called. "Take a seat." Neville sat in a comfy red upholstered chair. "You must be Neville Longbottom," she said, pulling a file from out of her desk.

Glorafilia Kensington was an elderly witch. She looked older than both Professor McGonagall and his Gran. Behind her sat a number of pictures and certificates in glass frames. The people in the photos, most of them children waved at Neville.

"Yes," Neville replied. "Are my parents alright?" he blurted out not wanting to wait any longer.

"There has been no change in your parent's status," she said, reading the file in front of her. She closed the cover and looked at him. "But there has been with yours."

"What?" Neville asked. As far as he knew he was healthy.

"I had come to my attention that you recently came of age," Glorafilia continued.

Neville suddenly had a whole different kind of dread come upon him. This was no longer about something out of his control; this was all about his control, and that was an even worse prospect. "Yes," he replied.

"Well, Mr Longbottom, now that you have reached maturity the responsibility for the welfare of your parents is transferred from your Grandmother to you," she said, speaking slowly and carefully.

Neville lent back against his chair. Once again all the blood ran from his face. "What does that mean? Will there be a change?" he asked, not sure what it entailed.

"There could be," she replied. "Mr Longbottom, as you no doubt know, in the nearly sixteen years your parents have been with us, we have had no success. There has been no change in their condition."

"Yes," Neville mumbled.

"You have to ask yourself if it is worth continuing their care here. There are a number of places, Muggle facilities, where they will be cared for in a much friendlier and peaceful environment."

"But if they go to a Muggle place, there won't be any magic. They won't be able to fix them," Neville replied, anger in his voice, outraged at her suggestion. "You just want to give up on them?" He couldn't believe what she was saying.

"We have made no progress," Glorafilia continued, voice as calm and steady as at the beginning of the conversation. "I'm just suggesting that there may be places where they would be happier."

No progress. The words echoed in Neville's head. "No, wait," Neville said getting to his feet, "you can't give up on them. I heard my mum."

"What?" Neville seemed to have finally gotten the attention of Glorafilia, her air of calm fading to one of curiosity.

"When I was attacked by Dementors. I heard my mum's voice. She told me to apparate, so she's got to be curable. She's still there, somewhere," Neville replied, desperation in his voice, trying in vain to stop St. Mungo's from giving up.

Sympathy crossed the face of Glorafilia, making Neville angry. He did not want sympathy. He did not need sympathy. He wanted her to listen to him.

"When people are in contract with Dementors, especially when there has been tragedy in their past, sometimes they hear memories they have long forgotten," Glorafilia replied calmly.

"No!" Neville yelled, pacing up and down beside her desk. He could not calm down. He would not calm down. "That can't be true. She told me to apparate." It could not be true, his mother had spoken to him, he was absolutely sure of it.

"Please calm down, Mr. Longbottom," Glorafilia raised her voice for the first time.

"No!" Neville grabbed the door handle and marched out. "Keep them where they are!" he yelled as he walked out into the corridor.

This could not be happening. Neville tried to contemplate that his parents were gone for good as he hurried down the corridor determined to see his parents.

He headed past the desk intending to go see his parent, but a sudden urge came over him. He remembered what his Gran had said to him the night before Neville moved in with Andromeda and Ted. Neville grabbed his wand and apparated outside the front door of Andromeda and Ted's home.

Hurrying through the house, he could not find Andromeda. He strode through the back door and over towards the greenhouse. Stepping in he found Andromeda and Ted working over by the Willows.

"Nev. How did it go? Is everything alright?" Ted asked, but Neville didn't want to talk to Ted.

"It's your fault!" Neville yelled at Andromeda, who stood up and faced him.

"Neville, are you alright?" she asked calmly. Another person treating him calmly. Neville did not want to deal with calmness right now. He had to get this off his chest.

"No, I'm not alright! My parents are as good as dead, and it's all your fault!"

Andromeda opened her mouth and looked shocked. Ted placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Now wait, Neville…" Ted replied putting his other hand out towards Neville, trying to placate the situation.

"No, I won't wait! My parents are gone because you let your sister run around the countryside! You should have done something! You should have stopped her! How did you not know who your sister was? She's your sister!"

Andromeda suddenly looked very drawn, but Neville at that moment could not care less about her feelings. "My family was ruined because of you and your family!" he finished.

Ted made a move for him, but Neville turned around and headed for the door. Running out the door he heard Ted's footsteps follow him, but got inside, headed for the fireplace and grabbed a handful of floo powder. Throwing it on the fire, he yelled out the address of Professor McGonagall's house in Edinburgh. He was already on his way as Ted walked into the room.

Neville ended up in a big, empty room painted in white. There was nobody around, only two chairs sitting in the corner, both covered with white sheets. There was nobody there, just him.

For the first time, Neville had time to think. His parents were gone forever. They were just empty shells. It had not been them protecting him that night. It was just a childhood memory. And then he had just yelled at Andromeda, his boss, his mentor and his friend, who had done nothing but encourage him, because of who she was. Because she was a Black.

Neville sat down on the floor and contemplated the mistake he had just made. He had been happy with Andromeda and Ted and with Lupin and Tonks, and now he had just thrown that away. He had been so full of hope that his parents would get better, and it had been dashed. And now, his Gran was not there and it was her right to, he had not listened to her. She should not have to take him in now.

Everything was ruined.

Neville let out a great sob as the grief of his parent's lives and of his own ruined hope overwhelmed him.

---

Eventually he stopped sobbing. Reminding himself that his Gran could be back any time, he picked himself off the floor and rubbed his face with his sleeve trying to remove any evidence that he had been crying. She did not like it when he cried.

Just then he heard a door open and a person walked in.

"Neville?" his Gran asked as she noticed him standing alone in the empty world. "What on earth?" She didn't seem to be too pleased he was there.

"Hello," he said quietly.

"What are you doing in the spare room? Shouldn't you be working in that woman's greenhouse?" she asked sternly.

"I-I don't think she'll take me back," Neville responded glumly, knowing how bad this would look to his Gran, him failing once again.

"What did you do this time?" she asked. It was not an uncommon question, Neville was forever irritating her friends when he went to visit them, accidentally breaking things, a habit that had him making few guest lists.

"I didn't break anything. I haven't broken anything in a while. I… " Neville tried to think of how to put it. "I spoke to Glorafilia Kensington, and she told me about Mum and Dad and how I'm in charge of them now, and I got mad and I yelled at Andromeda and blamed everything on her," Neville mumbled quickly, trying to avoid the authoritarian gaze of his Gran.

"Well," she announced, "I can't say I didn't see this coming." Neville wished she had not. "Go back and apologise for yelling."

"What?" Neville asked. He was not expecting her to say that, he looked at her questioningly, but she seemed as stern and serious as ever. He thought she would be pleased.

"Do you think I would just let you go off on your own without having somebody keep an eye on you? No. I had tea with Minerva this morning and she was telling me about what you have been up to; joining the Order like your parents, training with an Auror, helping out Harry Potter and getting your apparition licence; and I have to concede, staying with Andromeda Tonks is better for you than I ever have been," she announced.

Neville just looked at her, too shocked to say anything. She was right, but she had also just admitted that she had been wrong. That was the first time he had witnessed her do that.

"Well? Do you want your job back?" she asked.

"Yes," Neville managed to reply.

"Then go and clean up your face - there's a bathroom down the hall - and then go back and apologise," she ordered pointing

"Okay. Umm…thanks," Neville muttered. He headed halfway out the door before an idea came over him. He walked over to his Gran and put his arms around her and gave her a hug. Neville still had family, she was his family, and she supported him and he loved her, and as a result he was going to hug her.

---

The lounge was empty again when Neville got back, but he did not have to search far to find Andromeda. She was sitting at the kitchen next to Ted with red eyes. Neville felt a pang of guilt. He had made Andromeda cry.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you," Neville said as soon as they looked up at him.

"Don't worry, this isn't the first time I've gone through this. And you have every right," Andromeda replied, bitterness in her voice.

"No. I shouldn't blame you for the actions of someone else. It's not fair," Neville replied quietly.

Andromeda put a hand on the chair over from her, indicating for Neville to sit. He was hesitant at first, but eventually conceded, and sat down next to her. Andromeda whispered something to Ted. He got up, kissed her on the forehead and left the room.

"Bellatrix, Narcissa and I, we were raised to believe that the only people we ever had to count on were each other." Andromeda said quietly. "Bella being the oldest would protect me and Narcissa. She was very good at it, but I was never on her cross side, so I never really knew." Her voice was strained.

"You don't need to talk about it, I mean I was wrong," Neville said, not wanting to make Andromeda tell when it was obviously hard for her to do so.

"Yes, I do. I went through all of this with Nymphadora when she was about your age, and you're no different. You need to know." Andromeda paused before she continued.

"When I fell in love with Ted, we kept it secret for a long time. I was not supposed to fall in love a Muggle-born, and I knew if word ever got out that there would be consequences with my family. But when it finally did, in my fifth year, Bella got very mad." Andromeda covered her face with her hand for a second and took a breath and continued. Neville listened on.

"She and a few friends of hers grabbed Ted one day after classes. They took him down to the Forbidden Forrest, away from everyone else and then…then Bella tried to torture him."

Neville gasped, he had never heard of something that terrible happening on the ground. And it happened to Ted, who always seemed so jovial.

"The Groundskeeper, Hagrid, stumbled across the scene before anything truly awful happened. Bella was expelled, the Headmaster Dippet end up resigning in disgrace for it happening on Hogwarts grounds. But my parents had a lot of money. They made the Ministry stay out of it."

"I never knew my sister was capable of anything that horrid until that day. The last time I saw her was when she was expelled. I moved into my Uncle Alphard's place in the holidays."

"Was Ted alright?" Neville asked.

"He's a survivor, is Ted. He's the strongest person I know," Andromeda replied with a small, hesitant smile.


	16. Wake Up Brother

**Chapter Sixteen – Wake Up Brother**

**Author's Notes: **Really, I have no good excuse for why this chapter has been so long coming. I'm very sorry to those who have been waiting patiently. I will do my best to finish the last two chapters before Deathly Hallows. Thank you to my beta Nathaniel.

* * *

"You're thinking about what Andromeda told you," Ted suddenly said out of the blue when he and Neville were cleaning the kitchen that evening. He was right, Neville was thinking about it. How anyone would want to harm Ted, he did not know.

"I'm fine with you knowing," Ted continued. "I just don't like it when my life becomes entirely about one incident in the past."

"I get that too," Neville replied. "I don't like it either." He had hated it so much he had purposely decided to keep his parents' state secret from all the people in his year at Hogwarts. While most members of Ted's generation knew, it was not something that people generally told their children, so Neville had some success, or at least until Gilderoy Lockhart was transferred to his parents' ward and Ron's dad got attacked. Then it seemed like everyone that mattered knew.

Ted nodded.

"So, you haven't said what caused your outburst this morning?" he enquired, stopping what he was doing and leaning against the kitchen counter. "Do you want to talk about it? Because if you do, I'm all ears."

Neville thought for a moment. He had not explained his actions to Andromeda - she had just seemed to have been expecting it. Neville decided he had to tell someone about his morning and began telling Ted about his trip to St. Mungo's.

Ted nodded patiently the whole time, and before Neville knew it, he confessed how he had thought he heard his mother.

"So you think there is hope?" Ted asked, patiently.

"I don't know anymore. I want them to get better. I always have but maybe I was wrong, maybe they don't know what's going on around them," Neville replied, not feeling quite as awful as he had a few hours ago, but it still hurt to admit what he was thinking.

Ted put a hand on his shoulder. "I don't know what to do, Nev. It's a tough situation. But if you don't want to give up hope, I think a lot of people will understand that. Including your parents."

"I still don't know what I'm going to do," Neville confessed.

"Well, it's doing them no harm staying there for the meantime, is it? You have time to decide what is right for your family," Ted replied.

Neville nodded, thankful that Ted was there to listen to him. Neville rarely had someone to confide in about matters relating to his parents.

Just then Andromeda burst into the kitchen. "Post owl arrived. Letter for you, Neville. You are very popular at the moment, aren't you?"

She passed it on to Neville who recognised Lydia's handwriting immediately.

This was the one telling him whether his parents' file had been declassified or not. Neville decided he did not really want to open it in front of Andromeda and Ted, not when he had not told them anything about his quest in the first place, so he shoved it in his pocket.

Later that night when he was alone in his room, Neville prised under the seal and peeked at the contents inside.

_Dear Mr. Longbottom,_

_It seems your parents file is to remain official information. An Auror put a ban on it this morning. But don't despair. The great difficulties I have had to go through only to be sidelined now has me greatly intrigued, and I think I may have a way of finding out who put on the official information order. Then it's just a matter of persuasion._

_Yours,  
Lydia._

Neville didn't know what to make of this. On the one hand, he did not really have much use for the information anymore. But the lengths people were going to keep this information hidden reeked of something suspicious. And this concerned his parents after all. He wanted to know what had happened on that night more than ever now.

Maybe he should talk to Tonks, he thought. She was an Auror; she would know how to get information. He then decided against it as she seemed to always get very uncomfortable around the topic of his parents. He would go speak with Lydia though.

---

It was odd going back to work again, after all the time Neville had had off with the Wedding and the Order meeting, which now seemed to be far in the past, despite it only being a few days ago. Neville wondered whether the emotional day he had before had caused time to seem to go by faster.

The _Mimbulus _were in good shape, now looking rather swollen, but Neville didn't think he was any closer to getting them to flower. He had been giving some thought to transcription but quickly discarded the idea since _Mimbulus _did not have any branches, and while Neville was very comfortable around the plants defences, he wasn't silly enough to want to experiment with the pustules.

A few days passed by, and relations with Andromeda seemed to be going well. If anything, Neville thought him and her as well as Ted seemed to get along better. Neville suspected it was because the topic they had all tiptoed over for so long was now in the air, and they all understood each other better.

There had not been sight nor sound of Tonks though, or Lupin for that matter. Neville asked Ted about it, and he replied that she was very busy at work. Neville had been quite busy as well. Ted and Andromeda's wedding anniversary was fast approaching, and Ted had enlisted Neville to go through all the menus and reviews of all the restaurants in Chester looking for just the right place. Neville did not think he was much help. He had not eaten a lot of the food many of the places sold, especially the ethnic places. Ted kept going on about how Neville had missed out on so much having never eaten at an Indian restaurant and even went so far as to sneak out one day and reappear with an armful of Indian take-away. Neville was quite taken with butter chicken, but the idea of eating food that made his mouth feel like it was on fire took some getting used to; some of it seemed too much like one of Fred and George Weasley's pranks to be actual food.

The events of the day he had yelled at Andromeda also seemed to have a positive effect on Neville's relationship with his Gran. She even sent him a letter, railing on for some time about the blunders of the Ministry, and how in the day of Neville's parents they had not been that incompetent; back then they had actually bothered to train the Aurors and they had caught at least one Death Eater every week. Neville was glad to have her back to her old self; he had missed her quite a bit since the fire.

Luna continued writing. Her latest quirk was ordinary household items. She had decided to test if they remained fixed when a person left the room. She wrote a long letter about her attempt to see if her dinning room table disappeared. It consisted of sneaking up on it and jumping out. But it was still there. In the end, much to Neville's and later Ted's amusement, she concluded that it probably was disappearing, but it was much too crafty for her. Ted suggested to Neville that Luna should get some camera equipment and explained what that was. Luna decided that it wouldn't count as leaving the room, and Neville continued to write about his plants. Luna was always asking about them.

Neville also received his Hogwarts letter, this year not signed by Professor McGonagall, but by Professor Sprout as acting deputy Headmistress. Neville did not have to go to Diagon Alley to pick up any supplies; he had bought his Hogwarts robes months ago now, and the texts could be ordered over Owl post. However, he found himself in need of an excuse to go visit Lydia, and needing to purchase supplies was the best reason he could think of.

Ted and Andromeda's wedding anniversary crept around, and Andromeda surprised Ted by cooking him a very impressive spread for breakfast, and it wasn't even that burnt. Neville felt like a bit of a third wheel and decided it was as good a day as any to leave for a while.

"Do you mind if I go to London for a while? I need to pick up some things for school," he asked politely, hoping that Andromeda wouldn't mind him taking a Tuesday off.

Andromeda seemed to be considering it, when Ted whispered, "We'll have the house to ourselves," which Neville, unfortunately, overheard.

Andromeda glared at Ted. "Are you sure you want to go alone? I just don't think it is a good idea right now. Ted can go with you." Ted's pleased expression very quickly turned to one of disappointment.

"No… It's alright, I'm meeting my Gran," Neville lied. Andromeda did have a point, but he really did not want them to know he had been employing a private investigator to find out information about his parents.

"Oh, all right then," she replied.

Ted grinned.

---

Neville apparated into a Muggle alleyway not far from the Leaky Cauldron and took the route he knew to lead to the Ministry Library. It was a bit odd for Neville wandering around Muggle London by himself. He had never been alone among Muggles before, but he thought he handled himself well, although he could not help but feel the odd stare in his direction.

To his relief, it wasn't long before he came to the back alley that led to the Ministry Library. He tapped the rusty pipe five times, and sure enough a doorway appeared.

Reaching the fourth floor he found the same irritated librarian waiting at the desk. Neville surveyed the floor; there was nobody there among the towering filing cabinets other than him and the librarian.

"Is Lydia Jenkins here?" he asked timidly.

"She always shows up. Wait there, I'm sure she'll be along," the librarian replied, not looking up from a stack of paper on her desk.

Neville sat down on one of the chairs. The library was so quiet that Neville could hear the slow moving of the clock on the wall and the erratic shuffling of paper from the check-in desk. It did not take long for him to become bored out of his mind.

Eventually he got up and went for a wander around. There was very little around other than the cabinets. All of them were labelled in rather ancient looking handwriting and in ink that had started to fade. Peering at the one closest to him, he made out the words "licences – restricted plants and animals". Moving around the room he found more, randomly situated cabinets with labels ranging from "school records" to "past editions of the Daily Prophet" to "animagus-capable wizards and witches". Neville was astounded by all the information available to anyone wandering off the street. It was quite worrisome to him that anyone could just look up his school records.

He had the sudden urge to attempt look up his own school records himself to see if he could find them when he heard a woman cough behind him.

"Mr. Longbottom. So good to see you." It was Lydia, wearing a rather satisfied grin.

"Hi," Neville replied.

"Come, I have news," she said putting a hand on his shoulder and ushering him towards the small room she used as her office.

Neville stepped in and sat down, as did Lydia after she rummaged around in her suitcase.

"I must say, your case is very interesting. It's not very often that elements within the Auror Department try and stop my every move. But then again I should have expected it, they always protect their own," she said smiling.

"So you found my parents' file?" Neville asked.

"No. No. That's still official information, not available to the prying eyes of me, or even you for that matter," Lydia replied with air of confidence about her.

"So really you've made no progress since your last letter."

Lydia's mouth moved into a thin line, and Neville thought he may have insulted her, before she regained her composure. "No. I've made a great deal of progress. You see, bureaucracy is a beautiful thing. Forms need to be filled out for the application and signed by the Auror making the application."

"Oh," Neville said, nodding a little and wondering where she was going with this.

"And while these form are all kept far away from the prying eyes of the public, I have a little friend who is working in the Ministry filing office," she continued.

Suddenly she lowered her voice and leant over the table to Neville. "I don't do this for all my clients - this was a rather large favour I had to call - but your case, as I have said before, intrigues me. So while I haven't managed to get your parents' file declassified, I have managed to find out which Auror's name is currently on the classification request."

"Though it hasn't been much help," she said, while springing back up suddenly, the conspiratorial tone leaving her voice. "The girl must be covering for whoever really wants the file covered classified. She's much too young to be involved in the actual incident."

Neville felt his body suddenly chill like a person had walked over his grave. The Auror sounded too much like – no, it couldn't be.

"Who's the Auror?" Neville asked, dying to know.

"I haven't learnt much yet. Just that she is some low-ranked junior. I can go interview her if you want - see who she's covering up for - though I don't recommend face to face confrontation, it's not my style," Lydia replied. "I'll get some information on her and send her a letter."

"No - I mean whatever - I just want to know her name," Neville asked anxiously.

Lydia sighed. "It's a bit of a dead end, but Nymphadora Tonks."

Neville froze. Tonks had been covering up for the Ministry. Then he remembered the letter she had received that had caused her to run out. How she had been really uncomfortable around him at first. All that time it had been Tonks.

"Are you quite okay, Mr. Longbottom? You've gone quite pale," Lydia asked.

All this time she had been keeping information from him, and he did not know why. Could he trust her? Neville then remembered that is had been him who had recommended Tonks for the Dark Arts position at Hogwarts and felt sick.

"No." Neville paused trying to think of what to do. "I have to go," he said getting up, the legs of his chair making a jarring scratch along the floor as he did so.

"Do you want me to continue with the investigation?" Lydia asked as he rushed out of the room.

Neville stopped. "No. I'll do it from here," he said before heading off again. This concerned him, his parents and Tonks. He would deal with this himself, not get Lydia involved.

"Fine, my bill will come in a few days," Lydia called after him.

Neville got to the ground floor and was about to apparate, but quickly decided against it. He was in no state to try with his mind like this.

He began the trek back to the Leaky Cauldron, trying to make up his mind about what to do. He had to speak with Tonks, and soon. But he did not know where she lived. In Hogsmeade somewhere, but he would probably wander around the town all day and not find her.

His only option was to go back to Andromeda and Ted's house and ask them. But were they in on it, as well? What was it? Was she covering for a colleague? Or was she covering for someone more sinister? And why? What could possibly be in that report that would hurt anyone, everyone knew what had happened, why was it being covered up?

Another thought crossed his mind, was she covering up for his parents? Was there something in their past Neville did not know about?

He did not know anything. All he did know was that he needed to talk to Tonks, and soon.

Neville reached the Leaky Cauldron and threw a handful of Floo powder onto the fire. "Dominion Road," he yelled and was quickly in the Tonks' lounge. It was late afternoon now, and he found Ted wandering round the kitchen, using his reflection in the oven to tie his tie.

"I need to speak with Tonks," Neville said. "Where does she live?"

Ted gave him a puzzled look. "In the flat above where Zonko's used to be."

"Thanks," Neville replied and started to head towards the fireplace.

"Look, Nev, if you want to speak to Dora, now's not a good time to go. She's working days at the moment, and chances are that she won't be home. Send her a letter first and ask her when she will be there. Can it wait?"

"Well, can I go tonight?"

"We were hoping you would be able to keep an eye on the house tonight," Andromeda said as she walked in, wafting the scent of her perfume through the kitchen. She was wearing a beautiful floral dress and carrying a shawl, ready to go out for the evening.

Neville remembered then their anniversary plans. Ted had put so much effort into this, and Neville did not want to ruin it by making them worry.

"What is it about anyway?" Ted asked.

"It's not important, it can wait. I just…um…needed an answer on a Defence question," Neville lied.

"Okay, good," Ted replied, having finished with his tie.

"We should be back by nine," Andromeda said, walking out.

"You know where we are going, don't you?" Ted called as he left the lounge.

"Yeah," Neville replied, not listening but rather thinking about what he was going to do.

He went up to his room and grabbed a sheet of paper and a quill.

_I know about the report. I know you have been keeping information from me, _he wrote. He addressed it to Tonks, tied the letter to the foot of one of Andromeda's owls and sent it off to Hogsmeade.

Satisfied he had done something, but his head still spinning with questions, Neville sat down with some left-over curry and began to read yet another book he had found on plants. His mind was so preoccupied that he did not notice he had already read that one three times before.

There was a sudden noise, a knock on the door.

Neville got up headed for the front door, pulling out his wand as he did so.

"Who is it?" he called.

"Tonks."

Neville had to think for a second before he could remember what the question he was supposed to ask was, "What was your pet Owl's name when you were a kid?'

"Phillip," she called back patiently.

Neville unlatched the door. Tonks was standing there alone wearing her normal T-shirt and jeans, carrying her wand and with a tired and distraught look about her.

"We need to talk," she said. Neville nodded.

"Why?" Neville asked, his voice quieter than he thought it should be. He thought he would be angrier. "Were you covering for someone?"

Tonks stared at his hand, and Neville realised he had his wand pointed at her. He did not put it back.

"No. It was me. I didn't want you to read it," she replied, pushing her way past him and into the lounge.

"So…why?" he asked again. "What's in it?"

Tonks sat down in the chair and stared the wall. She just sat there not saying anything. She seemed to be steeling herself up for something. What it was, Neville had no idea.

"I need to know what happened. Why don't you want me to read it? What is in it? Why do my parents need protecting? Why is it you that is doing it?" Neville asked, the volume of his voice rising with every question, hoping to get some form of response from her.

Tonks bowed her head and looked to the floor. "Please, Neville, stop asking questions," she snapped.

Neville stopped talking and a moment's silence followed before Tonks opened her mouth once more.

"You have to understand, this isn't easy for me. I've never had to tell anyone before and – and you're really the last person I wanted to have to tell," she said rapidly.

"Tell me what?" he pushed, growing impatient with her. What could it possibly be?

"The report says that your parents were foolhardy," she said, still concentrating on the floor. "It uses that exact word."

"Foolhardy?" Neville repeated, his stomach sinking.

"Because they did exactly what they shouldn't have done. They found they were being attacked by three Death Eaters in their own home. They were outnumbered and they had an infant child, and instead of running and getting help and saving you, they stayed and fought. They risked their lives when they shouldn't have done so."

She said it slowly and calmly, and Neville took in every word. The report was right, that had been exactly what had happened. They had hidden Neville beneath the floorboards in the bedroom surrounded by silencing charms and gone off to fight. His Gran had told him as a child that was how he had survived. But they could have run away.

"And you didn't want me to read that?" Neville asked.

"No," Tonks replied quietly.

Neville sat down on the chair next to her.

Tonks turned to him, looking him the eyes for the first time that evening. "Your parents were heroes, Neville, and I wanted you to think that. They deserve better than that lie that was concocted up to protect me."

"What?" he asked, shocked by her last statement. Neville really had no idea what was going on now.

A tear fell down Tonks' face. "I really have never had to tell anyone this. Nobody knows that I know, except Dumbledore and he's dead now so I never had to…" Her voice drifted off.

"Know what?" he asked, desperate to get a straight answer out of her.

"That I was there," she blurted out. "They saved my life…Your parents stayed and they fought because Bellatrix and Rodolphus had a child under Imperius and it was me. I'm the reason why your parents are in St. Mungo's."

She looked to him, her eyes red. "My family really did ruin your life."

Neville stood, feeling strangely calm despite her confession, as if a wall had been erected between him and whatever he was supposed to think. It had happened again. It had happened with Moody and now it had happened with Tonks. All this time he had been talking with a person who had been there on that night and he had not know. Neville headed for the back door and on to the greenhouse. He needed to be alone. He needed to think.


End file.
